Passive smoking can be dangerous for children, especially when exposed to smoke again and again. It is also known as Second Hand Smoking (SHS) and exposes children to around 70 carcinogens at a time. Parents who smoke around their children expose them to the amount of nicotine equivalent to that of 60-150 cigarettes a year.
Passive smoke can have fatal effects on a child’s health and here are the health problems caused by passive smoking at home.
Triggers Asthma Attacks
Children who are asthmatic are at a higher risk of having frequent asthma attacks if the parents smoke around them. It also results in increased visits to hospitals and the use of more medicines.
Respiratory Problems
The smoke can inflame the airways and has a negative impact on children’s lungs. This can also increase the risk of them having respiratory problems like bronchitis and pneumonia.
Impaired Pulmonary function
Children may suffer from disturbed pulmonary function and the risk of contracting a respiratory infection remains high if they are constantly exposed to smoke at home.
Cancer
Not only the parent who smokes but their child too is at risk of developing cancer. The risk of having a brain tumor goes up by 22 percent and the risk of lymphoma goes up by 200 percent in children.
Neurodevelopmental problems
Cigarette smoke can have a fatal effect on a child’s cognitive, perceptual, and linguistic development and they may even show behavioral problems.
Here are some fatal effects of passive smoking on children. Make sure you keep your child protected from this and encourage the parent who smokes to quit this habit.
