SECONDHAND SMOKE

 
Exposure to secondhand smoke can be deadly. Secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,000 deaths from lung cancer and tens of thousands of deaths from heart disease to non-smoking adults in the United States per year.
 
Millions of children are exposed to secondhand smoke in their own homes. Secondhand some is especially harmful to your child’s health because his lungs are still developing. If you smoke around your children or they are exposed to secondhand smoke in other places, they may be in more danger than you realize. Children whose parents only smoke outside are still exposed to the chemicals in cigarette smoke. The best way to eliminate this exposure is to quit smoking.
 
What is secondhand smoke?
Secondhand smoke (also known as environmental tobacco smoke) is the smoke that comes out of the mouth of a smoker and at the end of burning cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. More than 50 of the chemicals in secondhand smoke are known to cause cancer. Any time a child breathes in secondhand smoke, he is exposed to these chemicals.
 
Note: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has conducted research on the effects of thirdhand smoke and has found that it is also harmful to children and adults. Thirdhand smoke is the smoke left behind- the harmful toxins that remain in places where children have smoked previously. Thirdhand smoke can be found in the walls of a bar, upholstery on the seats of a car, or even a child’s hair after a caregiver has smoked around him.
 
Your Developing Baby and Smoke
If you smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke when you’re pregnant, your baby is also exposed to harmful chemicals. This may lead to many serious health problems, including:

• Miscarriage
• Premature birth
• Low birth weight
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Learning and attention problems

The health risks go up the longer the child is pregnant woman smokes or is exposed. Quitting anytime during pregnancy can be helpful- of course, the sooner, the better.
 
Secondhand Smoke and Your Child’s Health
Children who breathe in secondhand smoke have a higher risk of:

• Ear infections
• Coughs and colds
• Respiratory problems, such as bronchitis and pneumonia
• Tooth decay

 
Children of smokers cough and wheeze more often and have a hard time recovering from respiratory viruses. They are also more likely to miss more school days. Other symptoms of secondhand smoke exposure include nasal congestion, headache, sore throat, eye irritation, and hoarseness.
 
Children with asthma are especially sensitive to secondhand smoke. Children with asthma are more likely to be hospitalized with asthma exacerbations if there is an adult in the home who is a smoker.
 
Long-Term Effects of Secondhand Smoke
Children who grow up with parents who smoke are themselves more likely to smoke.

Long-term effects of secondhand smoke exposure in childhood include:

• Poor long development
• Lung cancer
• Heart disease
• Cataracts

Creating a Smoke-Free Environment
Here are some tips that may help keep your child from being exposed to secondhand smoke:

• Set the example. If you smoke, quit today! If your children see you smoking, they may want to try it. If there are cigarettes at home, children are more likely to experiment with smoking.
• Remove your children from places where smoking is allowed, even if no one is smoking while you are there. Chemicals from smoke can be found on surfaces in rooms days after the smoking has occurred.
• Make your home smoke-free. Until you can quit, don’t smoke inside your home and don’t smoke anywhere near your children, even if you are outside. Don’t put out any ashtrays. Remember, air flows throughout a house, so smoking in one room allows it to spread through the entire home.
• Make your car smoke-free. Until you can quit, don’t smoke inside your car. Opening windows isn’t enough to clear the air.
• Choose a babysitter who doesn’t smoke. Even if your babysitter smokes outside, your children are exposed.
• Encourage tobacco-free childcare and schools.

Important Resources
Talk to your doctor if you need help quitting. There are many over-the-counter and prescription medicines that can help you quit. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) or contact the American Lung Association, American Heart Association, or American Cancer Society for more information about support groups where you live. Parents who smoke should quit for their health and for the health of their loved ones, especially their children.
 

AAP Feed run on: 9/11/2024 Article information last modified on: 9/11/2024