Cigarette smoke

If you smoke, vape or inhale other people’s cigarette smoke (passive smoking) it can worsen your asthma by:  

  • increasing asthma symptoms  
  • increasing asthma flare-ups  
  • reducing the effect of your preventer medications (this means sometimes higher doses are needed to achieve the same asthma benefits as non-smokers). 

For our babies and kids, breathing in other people’s smoke is particularly dangerous as they breathe more quickly than adults and their lungs are not yet fully formed. 

Quitting smoking or avoiding second-hand smoke is the best way to manage this trigger. 

The combination of asthma and smoking increases the chance of permanent damage to your lungs, lowering your lung function and developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Smoking can also cause lung cancer and many other diseases that can strongly affect your health.  

Talk to your doctor about support to help you quit smoking.

 

View First Aid Instructions View Asthma And Smoking Fact Sheet