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Secondhand Smoke Causes Asthma

© Leigh G. Kirtley

In the last several weeks, one of the local county health organizations in my area has been airing television commercials that state, “Secondhand smoke can cause asthma.” Such a bold statement shocked me and I thought it was an overstatement. I e-mailed the American Lung Association and here is the response I received:

“Yes, secondhand smoke has been shown to cause the onset of asthma. One of the best most recent surveys of the health effects of secondhand smoke is ‘The Health Effects of Exposure to Secondhand Smoke’ published by the California Air Resources Board in 1997. They estimate 8,000 to 26,000 new cases of asthma every year associated with exposure to secondhand smoke. “The information contained in this American Lung Association e-mail is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment, and the ALA recommends consultation with your doctor or health care professional.”

When I read their response I knew I wanted to share it here at the Suite.

We’ve always avoided secondhand smoke, and now I will be even more vigilant. My home and my car are smoke-free, but it has been difficult to avoid smoke in public. Believe it or not, when my son and I leave his doctor’s office, the entrance way is clogged with smokers despite repeated attempts to ask them to move. Apparently they prefer to stay warm while working on their cancer. Often my son will cough and hack loudly and give these people rude looks while we walk past. He’s 12. He can get away with such behavior but I ask him to hold his breath instead.

Here are some more facts I learned about secondhand smoke:

Secondhand smoke, or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), contains more than 4000 chemical compounds at least 43 are known to cause cancer in humans.

“Children who breathe secondhand smoke are more likely to suffer from pneumonia, bronchitis and other lung diseases,” said Janine Stuchin, project manager for the Capital District Tobacco-Free Coalition, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to making our lives smoke-free and tobacco-free.

According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery–fetuses, infants and young children are at greatest risk. Prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke can permanently damage developing organs like the lungs and brain. Besides asthma, research has linked ETS to cystic fibrosis and prolonged coughs and colds. Newborns of smoking mothers are more likely to develop behavioral problems like hyperactivity and poor school performance.

When children inhale the smoke, it irritates the eustachian tube that connects the middle ear and back of the nose. The irritation leads to swelling, fluid build up and infection. Ear infections can lead to permanent hearing loss.