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When You Smoke, Your Family Smokes: Protecting Your Children's Health
Secondhand Smoke Causes Serious Health Risks to our Children
Breathing secondhand smoke can be harmful to children's health including asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), bronchitis and pneumonia and ear infections. Children's exposure to secondhand smoke is responsible for: (1) increases in the number of asthma attacks and severity of symptoms in 200,000 to 1 million children with asthma; (2) between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections (for children under 18 months of age); and, (3) respiratory tract infections resulting in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations each year.
Children are especially sensitive to the effects of secondhand smoke because they are still developing physically, have higher breathing rates than adults, and are generally at the mercy of their parents/guardians for the quality of their indoor environments. Children exposed to high doses of secondhand smoke, such as those whose mothers smoke, run the greatest relative risk of experiencing damaging health effects.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Secondhand smoke is the 3rd leading cause of preventable death;
- Cause increased risk for your child to have asthma and more asthma attacks;
- Make your child more susceptible to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS);
- Cause a greater chance of lower respiratory track infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis for infants and children younger than 6; and Increase the risk for middle ear infections.
Health Risks to Children with Asthma
- Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease affecting 1 in 13 school aged children on average;
- Exposure to secondhand smoke can cause new cases of asthma in children who have not previously shown symptoms;
- Exposure to secondhand smoke can trigger life-threatening asthma attacks and make asthma symptoms more severe.
WHAT IT CONTAINS: More than 250 poisons that we normally protect our children from, 69 of which are known to cause cancer:
Just to name a few...
- Acetic Acid: found in hair dye
- Acetone: found in nail polish remover
- Ammonia: found in household cleaners for floors and toilets
- Arsenic: found in rat poison
- Butane: found in lighter fluid
- Carbon Monoxide (CO2): found in car exhaust fumes
- Ethanol: found in alcohol
- Lead: found in batteries
- Mercury: previously used for thermometers, but found to be too dangerous
- Methane gas: found in manure and feces
- Naphthalene: found in mothballs
- Tar: found in road pavement
HOW SECONDHAND AFFECTS YOUR CHILDREN
The effects of secondhand smoke may lead to multiple health problems, increased medical costs, and less rest for the parents and child.
- Asthma: secondhand smoke causes more frequent asthma attacks, more severe disease, and greater number of doctor and ER visits.
- Allergies: secondhand smoke causes the development of more allergies which may increase the need for medications.
- Chest infections: causes infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis, croup, or bronchiolitis
- Middle ear infections: a leading cause of deafness, children will have trouble sleeping, chronic ear infections increase doctor and ER trips
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS): Back to Sleep may help prevent SIDS, however babies exposed to secondhand smoke are still at risk for SIDS
- Eye and throat irritation, wheezing, cough, headaches
- Behavioral and learning difficulties: severe and chronic asthma, allergies and infections hinder the child's ability to behave and learn properly
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN
- Don't allow smoking in your car and home make your home and car a smoke-free zone
- Place no-smoking stickers inside your car and home
- Set an example for your children don't smoke!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can't I just reduce the amount that I smoke inside, or wait until the kids have gone to bed?
No, cigarette smoke can reach all areas of the home, including under closed doors and can remain in the air, furnishings and clothes. There is no household ventilation system that can stop the travel of tobacco smoke.
What if my spouse/partner doesn't believe that secondhand smoke is harmful?
A large amount of evidence from around the world clearly shows that secondhand smoke is harmful to children's health. These include reports by the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
How do I tell visitors not to smoke in the house?
Place a no-smoking sticker inside your home and car to make it known to all your visitors that your house is a smoke-free home. If it is typical for your visitors to smoke in the house, let them know that you are looking after your child's health by making your home smokefree. If you need to accommodate visitors who smoke, designate a smoking area outside away from windows or doors where smoke could drift inside.
What if I want to quit smoking?
If you want to quit smoking, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to begin your way to a tobacco free life. And until you quit, make the decision to keep your home and car tobacco free for the sake of your family.
More information and materials on ways to protect your children from secondhand smoke:
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