Passive smoking endangers the health of those around you. If you inhale tobacco smoke from smokers, you can consider yourself a passive smoker. Passive smoke is also known as second hand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke.
Health organizations demand stronger measures to protect passive smokers. Public areas such as kindergartens, children's playgrounds, schools, sports facilities, shopping centers, restaurants as well as public means of transport, should be smoke free in the future. Non-smokers, especially children, have a right to their health.
You put your children's health at risk when you expose them to second hand smoke. Tobacco smoke is the most dangerous interior pollutant. Children cannot choose not to inhale nor resist this dangerous cigarette smoke from the smokers as they receive it involuntarily.
Passive smoking induces similar health damaging effects as active smoking. In fact, studies indicate that passive smoking is more harmful than active smoking. Children face higher health risks as compared to adults. They are more sensitive to smoke as their bodies are still growing and developing.
A study by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio reveals that second hand smoke knocks points off your child's IQ. One nanogram of continine per millilitre of blood may decrease your child's IQ scores by an average of two points. It just takes one parent who smokes less than a pack a day to cause the effect.
Passive smoking also affects your child's lung function. Children exposed to passive smoke suffer respiratory illnesses such as phlegm, cough, asthma, rhinitis, wheezing, common cold bronchitis, pneumonia, and shortness of breath. They also get middle ear infections.
Among children, second hand smoke increases the risk of
development of inflammatory bowel disease
frequency of asthma attack
development of lung cancer
sudden infant death syndrome
dental decay
low birth weight
Children exposed to tobacco smoke at home develop asthma, cough, feelings of dizziness, headache, and poor concentration at double the rate. Their sleep disturbances also triple.
The more people smoke in your home, the higher the severity of symptoms your child will experience. Opening a window in a room or in the car cannot protect your child from passive smoking. Even smoking outside your house doesn't provide any insurance for your child. The only sensible way is to quit smoking completely. This will remove almost all dangers on your child.
Many people are not aware of the harmful effects of passive smoking. Pro-smoking lobby groups claim that second hand smoking poses no danger at all. However, evidences show that passive smoke can dent your children's health. Quitting smoking can give your children's health a good start.
