Care for your baby's air

What is passive smoking?

'Passive smoking' describes the involuntary inhalation of other peoples' tobacco smoke.

It may take the form of either 'mainstream smoke' inhaled and exhaled by the smoker, or 'sidestream smoke' emitted directly from burning tobacco.

The term 'environmental tobacco smoke' refers to the combination of sidestream and exhaled mainstream smoke in the atmosphere.

The unborn child is passive smoking when the mother is a smoker or is exposed to smoke. This is because the baby receives tobacco by-products though the mother's bloodstream.

These by-products include nicotine and carbon monoxide. Nicotine increases the baby's heart rate and the carbon monoxide takes the place of the oxygen in the blood, leaving less oxygen for the baby.