|
 Smokers
Be Ware…
Marla
M. Graves, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Exercise Science
Arkansas State University
Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
are now being launched to make adults
aware they can be fined ($25) for smoking
in a vehicle with a child present. The
law was actually passed in 2006, and
according to local authorities (in Arkansas,
the author's home state) this applies
to all children who are under the age
of 6 years and weigh less than 60 pounds,
requiring them to be properly secured
in a safety seat in a vehicle. Violating
this law can be a "primary offense,"
meaning police could use this offense
as the primary reason for pulling someone
over.
Arkansas is
not the only state with this sort of
law in effect. Similar laws exist in
several states including Louisiana,
Maine, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.
These laws exist to protect children
from the harmful effects of secondhand
smoke in a variety of settings including
homes, cars, and during visitation.
Though the law may seem intrusive to
smokers, the bottom line is it's an
attempt to protect the health and safety
of children. There is little room left
to dispute the harmful effects of secondhand
or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).
Secondhand smoke is defined as a mixture
of smoke given off by the burning end
of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe and the
smoke exhaled by a smoker. This smoke
can linger in the air for hours after
a cigarette or cigar has been smoked.
Secondhand smoke is then involuntarily
inhaled by nonsmokers, including children,
and has the potential to cause or aggravate
a wide range of health problems including
cancer, asthma, and respiratory infections
(American Lung Association).
Secondhand
smoke contains over 4,000 different
chemicals, of which 43 have been identified
as cancer-causing in humans. Roughly
26% of the American adult population
are smokers, and between 50 and 67%
of children under the age of 5 live
in homes with at least one smoking adult.
It is estimated that exposure to secondhand
smoke results in at least 38,000 annual
deaths, and over one million illnesses
in children in the U.S. annually. As
parents and teachers, we want to make
the best choices for our children/students
regarding their health. We would not
want to deliberately and repeatedly
expose them to anything that could potentially
do permanent damage to their bodies.
Here is just of few of facts that the
American Lung Association makes available
on their website (www.lungusa.org
) regarding secondhand smoke and children:
- Infants and young children are
especially susceptible to secondhand
smoke: their lungs are still developing,
and childhood exposure results in
decreased lung function. Children
who breathe secondhand smoke are more
likely to suffer from coughs, wheezing,
phlegm, and breathlessness.
- In children,
exposure to secondhand smoke exacerbates
400,000 - 1,000,000 cases of asthma
in the U.S. New evidence suggests
that secondhand smoke is a risk factor
for induction of new cases of asthma
among children and adolescents.
- The current
Surgeon General's Report states that
there is no risk-free level of
secondhand smoke exposure. Even
brief exposures can be harmful to
children.
- Exposure
to secondhand smoke causes 150,000
to 300,000 acute lower respiratory
tract infections (pneumonia and bronchitis)
annually in children 18 months and
younger. These infections result in
7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations each
year.
Additionally, the U.S. Surgeon General
(2006) has concluded that secondhand
smoke exposure causes disease and premature
death in children and adults who do
not smoke. Exposure to secondhand smoke
places children at higher risk of sudden
infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute
respiratory infections, ear problems,
and more severe asthma.
This law and others like it are meant
to protect children from the harmful
effects of involuntary smoking. Parents
may not realize that their choice to
smoke in their homes or automobiles
means they are forcing their children
to involuntarily smoke. It is essential
that parents understand that their child's
illness and even death could be a direct
result of the parent's smoking behavior.
Smoking parents...before you light up
in the presence of your child, please
consider the negative impact your smoking
is having on the health of your child,
and remember, if your child is in the
automobile with you, you may pay financially
for smoking on the go.
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