What are the harms of secondhand smoke, and how can children be protected?
There is no known safe level of secondhand tobacco smoke. It contributes to heart disease and lung cancer in adults and respiratory illness, ear problems and worse asthma attacks in children. A completely smoke-free home and car provide the best protection.
Details
Exposure affects people nearby
Cigarette and waterpipe smoke reaches people around the smoker. Children, pregnant people and those with heart or lung disease especially need protection. Infant exposure increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Absence of coughing does not make smoke harmless.
Is a window or fan enough?
Opening windows or smoking in another room does not reliably prevent exposure. Make the home and car smoke-free for every visitor, and avoid enclosed places where people smoke. Moving a child a short distance within the same room is not complete protection.
A practical family step
Support a quit plan rather than only masking the smell. Tell a clinician about smoke exposure if a child has recurrent wheeze or persistent cough. Significant breathing difficulty needs urgent medical help; move away from smoke without delaying care while trying to change the environment.
Related reading: How can I build a practical plan to stop smoking?.