Washington, Oct 17 (IANS) Non smokers can suffer heart attacks even if they are exposed briefly to cigarette smoke, says a new report of the Institute of Medicine (IOM).
The US Surgeon General has confirmed that nearly 50,000 Americans die every year from exposure to secondhand or passive smoking, known to cause of other serious diseases and ailments, including lung cancer.

Half of the US states have implemented comprehensive laws, which protect workers from passive smoking. Bars and restaurants in these states are also smoke-free, which gives people with asthma and other lung diseases the freedom to dine and socialise wherever they choose.

The American Lung Association (ALA) is working to eliminate exposure to second hand smoke in all work and public places, through its Smokefree Air Challenge, a nationwide campaign, says a release quoting its president and CEO Charles D. Connor.