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Tobacco Free Initiative |
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Key areas and groups Passive smoking The Facts World Health Organization Western Pacific Region YOUNG CHILDREN AND PASSIVE SMOKE During the first years of life, and particularly during the first year, children can be affected by exposure to smoke leading to asthma-like symptoms of cough and wheeze. The most seriously affected are infants and young children where exposure to secondhand smoke leads to increased respiratory tract infection, pneumonia and bronchitis. Children are often in close proximity to a smoking parent. Studies have shown that infants of smoking parents have much higher levels of cotinine, the major breakdown product of nicotine. Infants often do not have the option to escape from a smoking mother or other family members and are prone to the ill effects of inhaling passive smoke. While all smoke is likely to affect children, there is evidence from large studies of children’s exposure to smoke that children aged five years and under have significant increases in the likelihood of developing asthma if the mother smokes ten or more cigarettes per day. Asthma is also increased in older children when they are exposed to passive smoke.
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