Do you know who is most affected by second hand smoke?

You might guess that it would be spouses, who live for years with a haze of smoke from their smoking partners. Another guess would be the elderly, who are already suffering from a decline in health.

Though everyone who is exposed to secondhand smokeis at greater risk for health problems, studies show that there is one particular group that is more affected than the others:

Children.

There are several reasons why passive smoking affects children more than other individuals. Unborn babies, infants and even toddlers are developing organs that can be greatly affected by smoke in ways that an adult body isn’t. Though there are immediate, devastating results for children exposed to smoke, there is also a greater potential for developing health issues as grown-ups.

Smoke that has lingers in the air and fabrics can still harm a child, exposing them to second hand smoke even though the smoker isn’t present. Because babies and children have no control over their environment, it is the responsibility of adults to ensure that they provide a healthy home for children.

If more parents could give up their addiction ot nicotine, less children would have to live life impaired, ill or hospitalized.

The devastating efforts of secondhand smoke on unborn babies, infants and toddlers:

Unborn Children:

• Stunts development, resulting in low birth weight, undeveloped lungs
• The same amount of risk for health problems (like cancer) applies to the fetus as it does to the mother who is inhaling the cigarette smoke.
• Greater possibility of genetic mutations (smoking 10 cigarettes per day make your chances of having a baby with mutations 3 times greater.)
• Greater possibility of developing leukemia (cancer of the blood) and lymphoma (several types of cancers originating in the lymphatic system)
• Birth defects and other health risk rates are the same for pregnant smokers as it is for pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke. If your partner is smoking while you are pregnant, you are putting your child at as much risk as you would if you were the one lighting up.
• Greater occurrence of ADD and ADHD
• 4 times more likely to die of SIDS

Infants:

• Decreases lung efficiency and impairs lung function
• Increases the chances and severity of childhood asthma
• Increases the occurrence of colds, sore throats, bronchitis and pneumonia
• 4 times more likely to die of SIDS
• According to the EPA, secondhand smoke causes 150,000 to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections each year in infants and children under 18 months of age. These illnesses result in as many as 15,000 hospitalizations
• Children of parents who smoke half a pack a day or more are at nearly double the risk of hospitalization for a respiratory illness.
• Greater risk of developing ADD and ADHD

Babies and Toddlers (same effects as those seen in infants, with a few extra concerns):

• Increases the number of ear infections and ear infections that do not respond to medical treatment. This requires the insertion of tubes in the ears (ear infections are the leading cause of child hearing loss)
• Increased occurrences of colds, sore throats, bronchitis and pneumonia
• Some effect of the mental development of children exposed to smoke has been noted in different studies. This increases the chances actually developing a learning disability.
• Children exposed to secondhand smoke have the lowest levels of vitamin C, no matter how many fruits and vegetables they eat or vitamins they take.

Quitting: The best way to eliminate the risk to children is to quit smoking, because the level of chemicals in indoor air where the parents smoke outside is still substantially higher than that of non-smoking households.

Take it Outside: Smoking outside is still much better than smoking indoors, and is recommended if you are unable to quit or are in the process of quitting.

Clear the Air: Buying an air cleaner will cut down on the amount of chemicals and particles in the air from smoke and can be used to reduce the amount of smoke produces by indoor smokers. Air filters will by no means make it safe to smoke in the same house as children, but some protection is better than none at all.

Don't Puff Behind the Wheel: Refrain from smoking in the car. Because the interior of a car is so enclosed, smoke becomes concentrated, whether the window is open or not.

The best solution to this problem is not smoking at all. Not only will you help your children to live a happy and healthy life, but you will be healthy enough to share it with them and their children!