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 secondhand 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 dollars a year in medical expenses
and another $8.2 Billion dollars 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 they try to persuade
their teenage patients not to start.
We
should all support these efforts.
