In Cameroon, nearly 1.1 million people are users of tobacco. 6.72 million people are exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke. Situation is not without consequences for the well being of populations. Smoking, whether active or passive susceptible to risks of serious diseases.
The main effects are, in adults, an increase of about 25% the risk of ischemic heart disease and lung cancer. In children, exposure to tobacco smoke increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory infections, ear infections and asthma.
It has been clearly demonstrated scientifically that passive smoking is the cause of death, disease and disability and has its dangers, especially for unborn children and infants. It can cause or aggravate respiratory problems in persons inhaling smoke.
When you inhale cigarette smoke, you expose yourself to a cocktail of 4000 chemicals of which more than 250 are harmful and carcinogenic fifties. Here is an overview:
• Acetaldehyde (respiratory irritant)
• Acrolein (respiratory irritant)
• Acetone (nail polish remover)
• Naphthylamine (carcinogenic, probably involved in bladder cancer)
• Acrolein (respiratory irritant)
• Methanol (fuel used for rockets)
• Nicotine (used as herbicide and insecticide)
• Cadmium (used in batteries)
• Carbon Monoxide (deadly to a degree)
• benzopyrene (very carcinogenic mutagen)
• Vinyl chloride (used in plastics, libido decreases)
• Mercury (highly toxic)
• Hydrogen cyanide (was used in the gas chambers)
• Ammonia (detergent)
• Urethane (carcinogenic)
• Toluene (industrial solvent)
• Arsenic (poison)
• Dibenzacridine (very toxic, carcinogenic)
• Phenol (very irritating, used to kill prisoners during the Second World War)
• Butane (respoiratoires tract irritant)
• Polonium 210 (radioactive element that would have served to poison Arafat)
• resin (the most carcinogenic)
• Lead (banned in gasoline because toxic)
Smoking causes an average decrease of Life:
• 2 to 3 years to 10 cigarettes a day
• 5-7 years to 20 cigarettes a day
• 8-10 years to 40 cigarettes a day.

The main diseases directly linked to tobacco use
• Cancers of the trachea, bronchus and lung, also known as bronchial cancers
• Chronic bronchitis and obstructive pulmonary disease
• Cancers of the lips, oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, and larynx.
Smoking also remains a very important risk factor for many diseases: stomach cancer, bladder, cervix, cardiovascular disease, increased likelihood of sudden death infant for smokers speakers …
Thus, there is a worrying increase in the number of lung cancer in smokers.
Finally, ophthalmologists show that nicotine is:
• One factor responsible for a decrease in central vision
• A source of early cataract
• One cause of glaucoma.