Second-hand smoking is more dangerous to kids

It has turned out that children are more vulnerable to second-hand smoking than grown-ups as they inhale larger amount of cigarette smoke per body weight due to smaller body size than adults. In addition, its negative effect would prolong until later years in adulthood since their cells are in a growth period.

In fact, second-hand smoking hampers the development of lung functions of kids and causes different respiratory diseases, ear infection, asthma, sudden death of infants and hyposomia. Reports by the World Health Organization have shown that children with smoking parents are 5.7 times more likely to catch a cold, six times to develop asthma and ear infection, and four times to have serious diseases that requires hospitalization as opposed to kids with non-smoking parents. A recent study has found that second-hand smoking affects children’s intelligence, concentration and learning ability, and aggravates the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The WHO’s study conducted in 192 countries has shown that second-hand smoking kills some 600,000 people a year out of which some 165,000 are children. The place where those kids are exposed to passive smoking is their home where they live together with smoking family.

Damages of second-hand smoking to kids cannot be completely disappeared even smoking parents return home only after smoking outside. Cigarette smoke remains in lung for some 10 minutes after smoking and comes out every time smokers breathe out. In addition, it is advised not to make skin contact such as hugging and rubbing cheeks as toxic substances such as nicotine still remain on skin and outfit.

“Adverse effect of smoking can be minimized by returning home sometime after smoking, immediately brushing teeth and taking a shower, and dusting off the outfit,” said family physician Kim Gwan-wook who has provided counseling for quitting smoking advises.

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