Children & Second-Hand Smoke Exposure

Today, massive and conclusive scientific evidence documents the serious health risks that second-hand smoke poses to children, and the list of these health conditions has lengthened. The 2006 Surgeon General’s report on The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke concludes that children who are exposed to second-hand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, lower respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth. Because their respiratory, immune, and nervous systems are still developing, children are especially vulnerable to the health effects of second-hand smoke. In addition, young children typically are exposed to second-hand smoke involuntarily and have limited options for avoiding exposure. They depend on their parents and on adults around them for protection.