Smokers who disregard warnings about the effects of cigarettes on their own bodies should understand how harmful smoking is to children. Some scientists now say secondhand smoke is as dangerous to children as the actual act of lighting up is to adults.
According to the American Lung Association, children who inhale secondhand smoke are more likely to develop bronchitis and pneumonia. Kids suffering from asthma tend to have more attacks when exposed to secondhand smoke. Ear infections are even more common among children who spend time around smokers.
One of the latest studies on secondhand smoke comes from Tufts Medical Center in Boston. Doctors studied 200 children between the ages of one and 12. Researchers in that study say secondhand smoke is more dangerous to kids because they inhale more air per body weight than adults.
The American Lung Association has some common sense recommendations to protect your children: don’t allow smoking in your home or car; patronize restaurants and other businesses that have no-smoking policies; keep children away from smokers even if they’re outside. Following those recommendations could save your children from illnesses now and in their long term futures.