Passive smoke means the smoke inhaled from other people’s tobacco or cigarette smoke. There are other kinds of smoke available: cooking smoke, fire smoke, paper burn smoke, etc. The impact of Passive Smoking on kids’ Health is vulnerable around the world, especially in poor and developing countries. To prevent your children from smoking causing health hazards you need to take some protective measures like quitting smoking, making sure the environment is smoke-free, smoke-free home and car, etc.

Consequences of Passive smoke on a Child's Health

Second-hand smoke 

Secondhand smoke refers to the smoke which drifts from a lit cigarette and the smoke breaths out from a smoker.  Second-hand smoke is made up of mainstream smoke which the smoker breathes out and sidestream smoke which drifts from the end of a burning cigarette.

While a second-hand smoker smokes, the people very near to him are exposed to harmful and damaging smoke of different toxic ingredients in them. Second-hand smoke contains toxins and gasses like Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, etc. that babies and children can breathe in. Children most commonly come into contact with second-hand smoke while and after while their parents, family members, friends of any of your family members, or nearest one smoke.

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Second-hand smoke is dangerous for children 

Second-hand smoke is dangerous for children and babies as their smaller airways are developing at this period. During this developing stage, babies and children have less mature immune systems than grown-ups. That is why the repercussions are riskier for kids’ and neonates’ health than that of adults. Pregnant and premature infants are also more likely prone to suffer from various extreme health disorders.

Third-hand Smoke

Third-hand smoke is the leftover of smokers during or/and after smoking. These leftovers include ashes, remaining parts of cigarettes, tobacco, etc. Third-hand smoke lands and stays on near surfaces like on skin, hair, furniture, clothing, carpet, and flooring. When children crawl on carpets, hug their favorite toys, and snuggle into blankets, they breathe in and absorb chemicals from third-hand smoke. Babies and children are still exposed to these terrible toxins even after the men have finished their cigarettes. 

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Third-hand smoke is also dangerous for Children’s health

As the third-hand smoke lands and stays on very nearly surfaces like on skin, hair, furniture, carpet, blanket, clothing, and flooring, babies and children can come into contact with these terrible toxins of cigarettes easily which leads to serious health hazards.

Other kinds of smoke:

This kind of smoking is not derived from cigarettes or tobacco. Other than second-hand and third-hand smoke; cooking smoke, fire smoke and paper burn smoke are also threatening for both child and adult health. Rural areas in poor countries are prone to this type of smoke. All these smokings are harmful to life and the environment. Babies and children are at risk of various lung diseases like asthma, bronchitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia, etc. 

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Effect of Passive Smoking on Kid's Health

Second-hand and Third-hand cigarette smoke contain various toxins and gasses like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, etc. that cause dangerous breathing difficulties for both children and adults health. Babies and children are at risk of various lung diseases like asthma, bronchiolitis, bronchitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia, ear infection, septicemia, wheezing, middle ear infection and meningitis, etc. that can cause a fatal death.

Second-hand smoke can damage a baby’s breathing and heart rate, which leads to a higher risk of sudden unexpected death in infants. If parents smoke during pregnancy and after their baby is born, the increasing risk of SUDI is higher. And when a child is exposed to second-hand smoke, it can have swelling and irritation in their airways. They are more prone to develop a range of respiratory and other health problems.

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Also, third-hand smoking can affect the development of a child’s brain because the brain is very sensitive to even a very small amount of toxins. People exposed to second-hand smoke over a long time have a 20 to 30% higher risk of developing lung cancer. Children and babies need to be hospitalized and undergo a long treatment procedure for their recovery when they suffer from any of the lung diseases like severe pneumonia, bronchiolitis, bronchitis, etc. 

Health Damages Exposed to Other Kinds of Smoke

In addition to the problems and hazards of passive smoking; other kinds of smoke like cooking smoke, fire smoke, and paper burn smoke affect child health a lot. It extends skin rash, burn, skin irritation, runny nose, itching of eyes, along with all fatal health issues by second and third-hand smoking. Cooking smoke causes a serious consequence of migraine pain and breathing problems to the women at kitchen work.

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How to Protect Children from Smoke Induced Health Hazards

We know that prevention is better than cure. The important way to protect your children from second-hand and third-hand smoke is to quit smoking yourself and to support other adults in your child’s life to quit it. So, to prevent smoke causing health problems-

- First, you have to quit smoking yourself.

- Keep your home and car smoke-free,  keep the world smoke-free.

- If you are to go outside to smoke then tell someone to watch your children.

- Change clothes after smoking or wear a special sweater or jacket that can be removed after smoking.

- Tell others not to smoke near your children.

- Before cuddling your baby, always wash your hands after smoking.

- Don’t smoke into your car. 

- Make sure, all people who look after your children serve a smoke-free environment. 

- Educate your baby about the risks of smoke.

- Don’t cook in the open air in the yard for a long time. Flame can carry ashes and harmful particles to the eyes and nose of your baby or children.

- Keep your children away from cooking fire to prevent the smoke 

- Save yourself along with your kids from the paper-burning smoke.

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