The diseases caused by passive smoking kill seven people per day, or 2,655 people per year in Brazil, according to a study released on Friday.
The study, released by the Rio de Janeiro State University and the Cancer Institute, showed that passive smoking could cause serious diseases, such as lung cancer, cerebral hemorrhage, angina pectoris, myocardial infection and coronary thrombosis.
Scientists also found out that for every 1,000 deaths due to cerebral hemorrhage, 29 are caused by secondhand smoke. The proportion is 25 of 1,000 deaths of heart diseases, and seven of 1,000 deaths of lung cancer.
According to the study, women are 1.3 to three times more vulnerable to those diseases than men. Additionally, people aged 65 or more are most likely to die from those diseases.
The study did not take into consideration several other diseases usually associated to secondhand smoke, such as the sudden infant death syndrome and chronic respiratory diseases.
Furthermore, people who live with smokers can suffer from burning eyes, cough, headaches, asthma, and an escalation of allergies and cardiac problems.
The study said the possibilities of passive smokers sicken by heart diseases and lung cancer are 23 percent and 30 percent higher respectively than those who are not affected by secondhand smoke.
(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2008)