U.S. - Children Remain Especially Vulnerable to Secondhand Smoke..

December 18, 2008 - Nearly half of all children in the United States are still exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS, environmental, passive, invountary) each week, according to a new national survey from the American Legacy Foundation®, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence and researchers from Mississippi State University.

The Social Climate Survey of Tobacco found that 42 percent of children are exposed to SHS each week and there are public settings where children could be exposed that are still not smoke-free.

“Children especially deserve smoke-free environments, and all public places where children eat and play should be protected from secondhand smoke,” said Jonathan Klein, M.D., FAAP, director of the American Academy of Pediatrics Julius B. Richmond Center for Excellence. “Adults have the power to make healthier decisions for their children, and there needs to be more done to protect children in homes and cars from the dangers of secondhand smoke,” said Klein.

Other key findings include:

* While 75 percent of U.S households prohibit smoking in the home and car, that leaves 25 percent of American homes and cars unprotected.
* More non-smokers prohibit smoking in the home than smokers.
* More than one quarter of smokers report that their child had been exposed to secondhand smoke in their home.
* Among parents who smoke, only 53.5% prohibit smoking in the home and even fewer (22.5%) prohibit smoking in the family vehicle.
* 8.1 percent of US parents report that their child was exposed to SHS in an indoor public place in the past 7 days.

Over the years, studies have concluded that SHS smoke can be just as harmful as cigarette smoking. It is estimated that SHS exposure causes approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths annually among adult nonsmokers in the United States. Even more disturbing is the fact that young children who are exposed to SHS are at a higher risk of developing asthma, ear infections and cavities. Infants are at a higher risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

Reference: National Survey: Children Remain Especially Vulnerable to Secondhand Smoke, Despite Nation's Progress in Clean Indoor Air Policies, 12/16/2008.