Jorge Cárdenas, oncologist: “Opening the window, using fans, or not smoking so close does not eliminate the risk”

Many people wonder whether living with smokers truly raises cancer risk. According to oncologist Jorge Cárdenas, the answer is clear: “Yes, living with smokers significantly increases the risk. What we call secondhand smoking does raise the risk of cancer, even if you have never lit a cigarette in your life.”

When someone smokes near you, you are not only inhaling the smoke they exhale. You are also breathing in the smoke that comes directly from the cigarette. This smoke contains thousands of chemical substances, most of them carcinogenic, which directly damage the cells in your lungs.

Secondhand smoke is not harmless

Ongoing exposure can increase the risk of lung cancer, as well as cancers of the throat and mouth, and cardiovascular problems, among other diseases. This risk does not appear overnight. It builds up year after year, especially with daily exposure in enclosed spaces.

Cárdenas is clear: “Opening a window, using fans, or not smoking as close does not eliminate the risk. The smoke lingers in the air and is still inhaled,” something many people underestimate. This is why, even when precautions are taken, the danger remains.

Occasionally being around someone who smokes does not mean you will automatically develop cancer at some point. The real concern arises when exposure is constant and prolonged over time.

“Cancer does not always come from what we do. Sometimes it comes from what we breathe every day without realizing it,” the oncologist concludes, emphasizing that prevention also means taking care of the air we share with others.

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