Second-Hand Smoke

For young children, secondhand smoke can be very harmful. Smoke can damage their lungs and affect their ability to breathe properly. In some cases, exposure to secondhand smoke can affect a child's learning ability. Recent studies have linked parental and maternal smoking to learning disabilities including Attention Deficit Disorder. Children need to be protected from second-hand smoke in their homes and in their communities. Discover the Steps to Protection to find out ways that you can protect your children from secondhand smoke!

Steps to Proctection

Click on the pictures to reveal the steps!

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What is Secondhand Smoke?

Secondhand smoke is the smoke from the burning end of a cigarette, herbal cigarette, pipe, or cigar. It is also the smoke breathed out by a smoker.

How Can Secondhand Smoke Harm Your Child?

Secondhand smoke affects everyone, but children are especially vulnerable because they are still growing and developing. Cigarettes are made of toxic chemicals like tar, nicotine, ammonia, and formaldehyde. When a smoker lights up or exhales, these chemicals are released into the air. When children breathe in these chemicals, it can cause damage to their lungs and affect their ability to breathe properly and can cause health problems in children and fetuses including:

• Bronchitis and other respiratory infections
• Severe coughing and wheezing
• Ear infections
• Death due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
• Low birth weight or other birth defects
• Asthma

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic lung disease where breathing pathways are restricted. Asthma can be a life-threatening disease if not properly managed. The symptoms are wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. The number of children in the United States with asthma has nearly doubled over the past several years. Secondhand smoke is a known trigger of asthma.

What Can You Do About Asthma?

Although asthma is a chronic disease, it can be prevented. You can take some small, but important steps to protect your children from the effects of secondhand smoke. The air that children breathe really does make a difference. Follow these simple steps to help your children breathe better:

• If you smoke choose to quit. Quitting smoking will improve your health and the health of those around you.
• Don't smoke around children and don't let others smoke around your children.
• Clear your home of old smoke odors. Wash toys, blankets, or clothes that may smell of smoke.
• Choose a smoke-free childcare facility.
• Take the pledge to keep your home and car smoke free!

Additional Resources

• Environmental Protection Agency
• EPA Smoke Free Pledge
• American Lung Association

• "Don't Croak on Secondhand Smoke," a parent education curriculum. Author, Dawn Contreras, Ph.D. Courtesy of Michigan State University Extension. Copyright 2002.

• Home Safe Kids Curriculum
  Contact Kendra Moyses at 517-432-7654 or kmoyses@msu.edu

Second-hand Smoke Review

Please move your mouse over the choices to know the right answer

1. Secondhand smoke is harmful to children.
            True          False
2. Asthma is not a serious disease.
            True          False
3. Secondhand smoke can cause asthma.
            True          False
4. Quitting smoking benefits everyone in your household.
            True          False
5. Cigarette smoke is dangerous to everyone.
            True          False