Secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is a combination of exhaled cigarette smoke (mainstream smoke) and smoke that comes from the end of a smoldering cigarette (sidestream smoke). It is a nasty mixture of more than 7,000 chemicals, of which 250 have been identified as poisonous, and more than 70 of which are known to be carcinogenic.

Secondhand smoke causes numerous health problems in infants and children. They are faced with greater risk of negative effects of secondhand smoke than adults. This is because when air is tainted with cigarette smoke, young, developing lungs receive a higher concentration of inhaled toxins than older lungs do because a child’s breathing rate is faster than that of adults and this contributes to their high vulnerability.

Exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and can cause coronary heart disease and stroke. Both babies whose mothers smoke while pregnant and babies who are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth are more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than babies who are not exposed to cigarette smoke. Children who breathe secondhand smoke can have more ear infections, coughs and colds, respiratory problems such as bronchitis and pneumonia, and tooth decay. Moreover, secondhand smoke exposure causes children who already have asthma to experience more frequent and severe attacks. In the long run, secondhand smoke may cause problems to children later in life including poor lung development, lung cancer, and heart disease.

If you are a parent, you can protect your children from secondhand smoke by setting an example. One of the most important thing you can do for your own health and the health of your children is to stop smoking. Do not allow anyone to smoke anywhere in or near your home and car. Parents and other relatives need to make every effort to keep their children and young ones away from smokers and secondhand smoke so that the child can live a happy and a smoke-free life.

AA VI Cielo Katrina M. Mabalot

References:

1. “Health effects of secondhand smoke” from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/secondhand_smoke/health_effects/index.htm#:~:text=Secondhand%20smoke%20causes%20numerous%20health,infant%20death%20syndrome%20(SIDS).&text=Smoking%20during%20pregnancy%20results%20in%20more%20than%201%2C000%20infant%20deaths%20annually.’

2. “Children in the Home” from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/secondhand_smoke/children-home/index.htm

3. “The Dangers of Secondhand Smoke” from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/tobacco/Pages/Dangers-of-Secondhand-Smoke.aspx