Smoking Health Risks Among Children

Covering smoking health risks, statistics and factors

Smoking health risks are a concern amongst young children. Children who live with smoking parents or siblings are continually exposed to unlimited dangers of smoking. Due to their maturing biological make-up it's much easier and faster for damage to be inflicted on children by toxins and carcinogens found in cigarette smoke.

The health risks associated with smoking amongst children comes from the concept of passive smoking or second hand smoking. Sidestream smoking as it is also known is cigarette smoke that pollutes an environment when a smoker is smoking. This is inevitably inhaled by those in the vicinity of the smoker.

Research concluded in 1981 by a Japanese researcher gave rise to this concept. Since then numerous other studies have confirmed that second hand smoke is indeed harmful to both adults and children.Children form a special case because they live with parents or siblings who smoke. Their play, sleep and rest environment is therefore continually tobacco polluted.

Not only is smoking harmful through passive smoking. Recent research which has also incensed pro-smoking groups shows that second hand smoking goes further than visible environmental tobacco smoke. Another concept has since been introduced called third hand smoke. Third hand smoke is tobacco smoke that filters through and settles in car seats, hair, clothes, home curtains, walls and just about anything that can hold smoke particles.

Third hand smoke also has been shown to be harmful to children as well as adults. The following are worrying selected smoking health risk statistics showing the levels of exposure of children to passive smoke in the home;

• Cuba - 69%
• Agentina - 68%
• China - 53%
• Russia - 55%
• India - 34%
• Nigeria - 34%
• Peru - 29%

Children who live with people who smoke have a greater risk of suffering from the following smoking diseases and conditions;

• Smelly hair
• Possible brain tumors and long term mental effects
• Stinging and watery eyes leading to increased blinking
• Nose irritation
• Asthma induction and exacerbation
• Chronic respiratory symptoms (wheezing, cough, breathlessness)
• Decreased lung function
• Increased nicotine receptors
• Lung Cancer
• Exacerbation of pre-exsting respiratory conditions
• Cot or crib death (SIDS)
• Possible brain tumors
• Middle ear infections (chronic otitis media)
• Accidental fire burns/li>
• Increased likelihood of becoming a teenage tobacco user
• Accidental nicotine poisoning from discarded cigarette butts and nicotine chewing gum
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Smoking Health Risks Statistics Among Children

The following are some selected statistics from the United States showing health risks of smoking when living with children;

• Lung cancer - 3000
• Ischaemic heart disease - 35000 to 62000
• Low birth weight - 9700 to 18600
• Cot Death (SIDS) - 1900 to 2700
• Bronchits or pneumonia in infants - 150 000 to 300 000
• Middle ear infection - 700 000 to 1 600 000
• New Asthma Induction cases - 8000 to 26000
• Asthma exacerbation 400 000 to 1 000 000

Statistical Source: www.WHO.int

Children are the biggest losers when it comes to the health effects of smoking. Unfortunately smoking laws and tobacco regulations in place today end at the door and never enter the house. Consequently, the cost of smoking amongst children is high. Most of the effects might to appear today but will certainly dent promising futures of innocent children.

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