Silent Suffering: The Hidden Dangers of Secondhand Smoke on Children’s Health at Home

Dr Pavan Yadav, Lead Consultant – Interventional Pulmonology & Lung Transplantation, Aster RV HospitaL

Usually, people mention smoking being the main reason for poor health in their statements, but what a lot of folks overlook is that the smoke filling up the room will not just be confined to the smoker. It stealthily moves to everyone around— and when it is children who are going to breathe it in, the outcomes can be much worse. Passive smoking or secondhand smoke has turned out to be one of the most underrated threats in many Indian households. What aggravates the situation is that the little ones, even before they are born, suffer the impact of it.

Secondhand smoke is a combination of the smoke produced at the burning tip of the cigarette and the smoke that the smoker breathes out. It has thousands of hazardous chemicals in it like carbon monoxide, nicotine, formaldehyde and many of them are known for causing cancer. Since the lungs and immune system of a child are in the process of development even a little bit of exposure can do harm.

The common understanding is, if kids are in a smoke environment, it will cause them some throat irritation or coughing. But the reality is that over time it can be serious and lead to asthma, ear infections, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Research has indicated that children living in smoking homes are more prone to having colds frequently, breathing problems, and slower lung development. Newborns and toddlers are particularly vulnerable because they inhale more rapidly and they are usually indoors the whole day.

The dangers arise even before birth – this risk starts during pregnancy. If a pregnant woman smokes or inhales secondhand smoke, the fetal development will be affected negatively. The smoke limits the oxygen supply to the fetus and as a result the baby could be born underweight, delivered prematurely or in some cases, stillborn. The intake continues to be a scenario of negative impacts for the developing organs of the infant right after birth.

One of the main errors that people make is considering it safe to smoke in the house near an open window or in a distant room. Actually, the air is toxic and the smoke particles have settled on all the surfaces – on the sofa, on the curtains, on the clothes and even on the skin – they just are not visible. This phenomenon of smoke residue which often is referred to as thirdhand smoke, has a very long-life span and children can be exposed to it by inhalation, absorption or whenever they are around the house playing or touching things. Infants who are crawling or are very close to smoking parents can unwittingly inhale those toxic substances along with their breath.

There is only one effective alternative, and that is to make the home and car completely smoke-free. In other words, no smoking inside even if the kids are not around. Smokers in the family should go outside, change their clothes and hands wash before touching the kids. If it is not possible, stopping smoking is the best health gift for your family that a parent can ever give.

Understanding the situation is very important. It is possible that many mothers won’t know that even one cigarette can make a room’s air unbreathable for hours, even if the smoke is not visible anymore. However, talking about this openly within the family helps a lot. Moreover, fathers, grandparents and guests being encouraged to smoke outside or, even better, to give up smoking totally will greatly help in the protection of children’s lungs and immunity.

Adults are the ones responsible to make safe choices for children. Children can’t determine the quality of the air they breathe, but we can. The firing of non-smokers is not a matter of judgment but rather a matter of care, duty and love. Therefore, each cigarette that is not smoked indoors means a cleaner breath, a healthier childhood and a safer home.