Radio Commentary
More
young people are killed by exposure to their parents’ cigarette smoking than by
all accidents combined, according to a study in the Archives of Pediatrics and
Adolescent Medicine.
This is potentially the biggest
preventable cause of death in young children, the report concluded.
It linked
passive smoking to premature deaths caused by low birth weight, sudden infant
death syndrome, respiratory infection, and asthma.
Parental
smoking also costs the nation $4.6 Billion a year in medical expenses and
another $8.2 Billion in loss of life, said the two pediatricians who worked on
the study.
“There are lots
of things that affect children's health, that reduce their chances for happy, successful
lives,” said one doctor. “But here we have something we know how to prevent.”
Exposure to
secondhand smoke can decrease lung growth in children, stunt their growth,
cause asthma, and increase their lifetime risk of heart disease and high
cholesterol.
It is even dangerous before birth,
as smoking during pregnancy has been linked to serious physical consequences.
Pediatricians across the country
encourage parents to quit smoking and to persuade their teenage patients not to
start.
We should all support these efforts.
