Smokers in Warnambool will find it hard to light a cigarette wherever they want once Mayor Jacinta Ermacora gets what she wants. The mayor wants to implement strong rules and regulations against smoking outdoors.

“It is going to take a couple of years for the government to change the act, so I’ll be calling for us to alter our local laws to implement some of their recommendations earlier in Warrnambool,” Ermacora said. “The main intention is about good modeling for children and promoting a healthy lifestyle, particularly at beaches between the flags, children’s playgrounds and council buildings.”

Ermacora hopes to curb smoking in Warnambool by squeezing it out. “It’s been proven a reduction in the number of places you can legally smoke promotes smoking as a less-accepted activity across the community, which reduces smoking and cuts the number of people getting cancer.” she added.

Diseases Associated With Passive Smoking

Smoking can threaten not only the smoker’s health but also the people around. For instance, children are highly affected by second-hand smoke from their parents.

Second-hand smoke can bring different types of diseases such as respiratory problems. Here are some diseases that people can acquire when they are exposed to second-hand smoke:

1. Minor respiratory problems
Inhaling second-hand smoke can cause minor respiratory problems like runny nose and cough especially in children. Many cases of children’s asthma are caused by exposure to second-hand smoke.

When the respiratory tracts are irritated by inhaling smoke, they can constrict which can cause difficulty of breathing and cough.

2. Heart Problems
A study shows that 90 per cent of women exposed to second-hand smoke are more prone to heart diseases. When the smoke enters their system, the possibilities of constricting the veins and arteries are also high. And because of that, people may suffer chest pain, and even heart attacks for people with existing heart diseases.

3. Tuberculosis and Chronic Respiratory Problems
Nonsmoking people can also suffer from diseases that smokers usually suffer. For instance, frequent and regular exposure to second-hand smoke can lead to more serious problems like tuberculosis, emphysema, bronchitis, and pneumonia.

Aside from the health problems listed above, second-hand smoke is also associated in sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS, middle ear infections, sinus infections, and even tooth decay. On the other hand, pregnant women who are exposed to passive smoking can have still births and miscarriage, can have premature babies, and can affect the formation of babies’ internal parts and organs.