Secondhand Smoke: A Danger to Children
Guidelines for Parents
Secondhand smoke kills 50,000 Americans each year. It causes many illnesses in children like ear infections and hearing problems, respiratory problems like bronchitis and pneumonia, and asthma.
Secondhand smoke comes from cigarettes, pipes or cigars. Researchers have now found that breathing in someone else's smoke is very dangerous, especially for children. Secondhand smoke is the smoke that is breathed out by a smoker and the smoke that comes from the tip of a burning cigarette. Exposure to secondhand smoke happens any time someone breathes in the smoke that comes from a cigarette, pipe or cigar. Secondhand smoke contains many dangerous chemicals that have been proven to cause cancer. It is estimated that it causes 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year to people who don't even smoke!
Secondhand smoke has almost 4,000 chemicals in it that infants and children breathe in whenever someone smokes around them. Children who breathe it in are at risk for many serious health problems we ordinarily think are caused by something else, like colds or flu or swimmer's ear.
Secondhand smoke can cause a stuffy nose, headaches, sore throat, eye irritation, hoarseness, dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite, lack of energy, or fussiness. Children exposed to secondhand smoke cough and wheeze more and have a harder time getting over colds. Their lungs may not ever reach their full capacity.
Children with asthma are especially sensitive to secondhand smoke. It can actually increase the number and severity of asthma attacks, which may require trips to the hospital. Also, exposure to the smoke of as few as 10 cigarettes per day raises a child's chances of getting asthma even if that child has never had any symptoms.
Secondhand smoke can cause problems for children later in life including lung cancer, heart disease and cataracts (eye disease).
Inhaling smoke from the cigarettes of others is dangerous for pregnant women too. Babies can have low birth weight that leads to many medical problems, and in some cases, death. Pregnant women should stay away from smoke.
How Parents Can Protect Their Children From Secondhand Smoke
If you smoke -- quit. It is one of the most important things you can do for the health of your children and the best way to prevent your child from being exposed to secondhand smoke. If you are having trouble quitting smoking, ask your doctor for help. Call your local chapter of the American Lung Association, American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, or the Alcohol and Drug HELPLINE 1-800-622-7422 for other groups that sponsor stop-smoking programs.
As a parent, you are a role model. Children watch what their parents do. If your child sees you smoking, he or she may want to try smoking and grow up to become a smoker as well. Cigarette smoking by children and teenagers causes the same health problems that affect adults. If you cannot quit, always go outside to smoke. Never smoke in the house.
Smokefree Air Everywhere for Children
Parents need to be aware of the many places where their children can be exposed to secondhand smoke. Even if there are no smokers in your home, your children can still be exposed to it in other places: in other people's car, in a restaurant, at a friend or relative's house, at the babysitter's house, at sports events.
Please ask people not to smoke around your children or keep children from places where there is secondhand smoke. Don't allow smoking in your house. Remember air flows throughout the house, so smoking even in one room allows smoke to go everywhere. Most importantly, don't allow smoking in your car. This is a confined space and even opening windows is not enough to clear the air. Choose a babysitter or day care center who does not allow smoking indoors or in their car. Dine in smokefree restaurants.
If you smoke make every effort to quit and keep the smoke away from children. Smoking is also a fire hazard and nicotine if ingested can poison children. So keep lighters, matches and tobacco products out of the reach of children. Never smoke in the house. Go outside.
You will keep your child safe from injury and harmful chemicals if you protect them from secondhand smoke.
Remember "Smokefree Air Everywhere."
This factsheet prepared by:
Rhode Island Department of Health/Project ASSIST*
(*The American Stop Smoking Intervention Study for Cancer Prevention)
January 1998
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