The New York State Department of Health recently launched a campaign, Clear the Air!, to highlight the dangers of secondhand smoke exposure for children with asthma.
“Secondhand smoke is dangerous for nonsmoking, healthy adults, but it is even more hazardous for babies and children whose lungs are still developing, and it’s especially risky for children who have asthma,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. “Secondhand smoke can cause children with asthma or allergies to have longer and more severe asthma attacks as well as middle ear infections, sore throats, and colds.”
Governor Kathy Hochul has taken several steps to expand access to high-quality care for New York’s children. This includes expanding the efforts of the New York State Children’s Asthma Initiative to train the health care workforce in delivering multidisciplinary care across multiple settings and better help children manage asthma.
Children exposed to secondhand smoke can have more frequent and severe asthma attacks; are more likely to get ear infections; can have more breathing problems, such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath; and are more likely to experience lower respiratory infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Babies whose mothers smoked during pregnancy as well as babies exposed to secondhand smoke during their first year have an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
There is no safe level of exposure to cigarette smoke. There are more than 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, including hundreds of toxic chemicals. About 70 of the chemicals in secondhand smoke can cause cancer.
In New York State, nearly 2,000 deaths a year are attributable to secondhand smoke exposure. In the US, secondhand smoke exposure contributes to the deaths of about 41,000 nonsmoking adults and 400 infants each year.
No one, adult or child, should have to breathe someone else’s smoke. Take action by implementing these preventative measures:
- Don’t allow smoking in the home or car, particularly if pregnant women, infants, young children, or people with asthma or breathing problems are present. That includes family members, visitors, babysitters and others working at home.
- Ensure that children learn and play in smoke-free environments. The New York State Clean Indoor Air Act bans all tobacco, including cigarettes, pipes, cigars, snuff and chewing tobacco, on the grounds of all public and private pre-schools, nursery schools, elementary schools and secondary schools during school hours and activities.
More information about secondhand smoke can be found here.
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