Children and Second-Hand Smoke
...rn children, they do not have that choice and it is up to their parents to protect them. There are no real arguments for smoking while pregnant or around children. Smokers are fully aware of the dangers they impose on young and even unborn children. Their only defense is, as adults, smoking is their choice. Audrey Anderson, an employee at Emory Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, gave birth to two children that were under weight and had respiratory problems. Doctors confirmed that the low birth weight and respiratory problems were a direct result of Mrs. Anderson smoking during pregnancy. As she continued to smoke in the home, the respiratory problems worsen and developed into frequent colds, bronchitis and asthma. As the children became school age, the respiratory problems created more problems; missing time out of school due to illness, falling behind in their school work and even slow development in social growth. All of these are problems that could have been prevented by not smoking during pregnancy and allowing her children to breathe second-hand smoke. Unfortunately, Mrs. Anderson’s actions are very common and health problems in children are far too frequent. A recent study at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, examined 507 infants, finding urinary cotinine levels during the first two weeks of life were significantly increased in infants whose mothers smoked. Breast-fed infants had higher cotinine levels than non-breast-fed infants, but this statically significant only if mothers smoked. Children of smokers are 2 ˝ times more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome. In fact, one study found that nearly 60 percent of all SIDS cases could have been prevented if smokers stopped smoking around babies and pregnant women. Children are passive smokers. They are forced to breathe second-hand smoke in their home and the family car if there are smokers in the family. They are also exposed to second-hand smoke in public places such as restaurants and malls that may not be smoke-free. As children inhale smoke, their heart rate and blood pressure increases. Initially, they may suffer allergic reactions. Prolonged exposure leads to middle ear infections, or bronchial, and other respiratory tract infections. Over the longer term, these children develop asthma. In those who already have asthma, second-hand smoke increases the frequency and severity of their disease. All of these children are suffering from ailments that would be prevented by taking simple steps to eliminate their exposure to second-hand smoke. Second-hand smoke releases the same 4,000 chemicals as smoke that is directly inhaled, but in even greater quantity. Approximately 50 of these chemicals cause cancer. Cigarettes burn for approximately 12 minutes, but smokers usually only inhale for 30 seconds. That means for 11 minutes and 30 seconds cigarettes are delivering second-hand smoke in the air for children to breathe. Because second-hand smoke burns at a lower temperature than inhaled smoke, it contains two times more tar, which clogs up lungs and breathing passages and five time more carbon monoxide, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood. Second-hand smoke is also concentrated. Exposing children to second-hand smoke is tantamount to child abuse, the Canadian Lung Association says. “Children who are exposed to second-hand smoke are victims in their own homes, the very environment that is supposed to be safe and protective,” said Noel Kerin, an occupational and environmental medicine specialist and medical spokesman for the lung association. Risky behavior, such as smoking, is learned. Children of parents who smoke are more likely to become smokers. Not only are the children more likely to smoke, they are more likely to be involved in other types of risky behavior. Parents who smoke, drink and generally do not take care of their health, influence their children to do the same. According to a new study that links parents' risky behavior to early sexual activity in teens, "Adolescents, whose parents engage in risky behavior, especially smoking, are especially likely to be sexually active. They are also more likely to smoke, drink, associate with substance-using peers and participate in delinquent activity," say study co-authors Esther I. Wilder of Lehman College and Toni Terling Watt, Ph.D., of Southwest Texas State University. Jarvis Hunt...