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Smoking and Kids
July 23, 2008
If you want to know how to find your contribution to the world, look at your wounds. When you learn how to heal them, teach others.
-Emily Maroutian
An Australian study reported in the March issue of Indoor Air found that parents who smoke outside their house are still exposing their children to the harmful effects of passive smoking. The study found that the levels of respirable suspended particles, including nicotine, were significantly higher in houses where smokers lived than in smoke-free homes — even if the parents only smoked outside.

Lead author of the study, Dr Krassi Rumchev of Curtin University of Technology, says the findings indicate that the level of passive smoking by children at home may be underestimated, as those whose parents smoked outside were exposed to levels of environmental tobacco smoke high enough to cause harm. "According to the study, smoking outdoors seems inadequate to protect children," Rumchev says. "[The] results demonstrate clearly that if parents want a smoke-free environment for children, they need to stop smoking."

She adds that children were more likely to have respiratory illnesses including asthma, coughs, and colds than those in tobacco-free households. She says smokers appear to disperse pollutants into the home when returning inside. "When people come inside they're still breathing out smoke and it contaminates the air. It's enough to do harm," Rumchev says. "Nicotine attaches to the hair and body, and pollutants are dispersed into the air off clothes, because small particles can attach to clothes."



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Comments (4)

Displaying All 4 Comments
Jennifer · October 02, 2008
Phoenix, AZ, United States


Please enter this link for the study published March 11, 2008 entitled: How free of tobacco smoke are 'smoke-free' homes?

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/search/allsearch?mode=viewselected&product=journal&ID=119406962&view_selected.x=27&view_selected.y=9&view_selected=view_selected


Linda Coolen · July 26, 2008
Needham, MA, United States


I went to the website of "Indoor Air" and could find no reference to this article. There is also no March issue, only February and April issues as it is a bi-monthly journal.

Rod · July 23, 2008
New Zealand


This is a classic example of exaggerated stupidity. I don't for a minute justify smoking. But I refuse to believe that your child would die of some horrible disease because a Parent would have the smell of smoke on them. The chemicals mentioned here would be in so minute amounts. An example was a Phamplet put out by ASH years ago which in big block letters said smoking makes limbs colder. But they didn't say that you needed a very powerful instrument to detect the change in temperture. What about household chemicals. Mix some and you can cause poisonous gases or even explosions. We absorb these chemicals through our skin in all sorts of different combinations , but does that worry anybody? Electromagnetic waves from cordless phones , PC's and what about the rubbish in our processed foods? Soy is incredibly bad for young children.
Smokers have been singled out and are targeted by research. Research relies on funding. Where does alot of it come from?
From people who provide the funding ,especially businesses that sell giving up smoking products. It's all about money and control like just about everything these days.

Kay Rush · July 23, 2008
High/Scope Foundation
Ypsilanti, MI, United States


I have never understood why parents of small children would smoke and subject themselves and thier children to the hazardorous health issues. Second hand smoke is worst that sucking it in your self, So why would you harm your own children. To me, and not to sound harsh or judgemental, but when you smoke and have children in your home, it's the same as child abuse and neglet.



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