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Outdoor smoking affects children indoors

An Australian study found that parents who smoke outside their house are still exposing their children to the harmful effects of passive smoking.

The study found that the levels of respirable suspended particles, including nicotine, were significantly higher in houses where smokers lived than in smokefree homes - even if they only smoked outside.
Lead author of the study, Dr Krassi Rumchev of Curtin University of Technology, says the findings indicate that the level of passive smoking by children at home may be underestimated, as those whose parents smoked outside were exposed to levels of environmental tobacco smoke high enough to cause harm.

"According to the study, smoking outdoors seems inadequate to protect children," Rumchev says.

"The results demonstrate clearly that if parents want a smokefree environment for children, they need to stop smoking."
She adds that children were more likely to have respiratory illnesses including asthma, coughs and colds than those in smokefree households.

The researchers urge doctors to advise parents to quit and make their homes completely smokefree.
Researchers measured nicotine and respirable particles over 24 hours in the living rooms of households with children aged between four and nine years old.

Although 42% of households had smokers, only 4% said smoking occurred inside. Levels were low in homes without smokers and considerably higher in houses where smoking was reported.

She said, "The findings are concerning, and it's a clear message that more education programmes are required."

"Smokers appear to disperse pollutants into the home when returning inside. When people come inside they're still breathing out smoke and it contaminates the air."

"Nicotine attaches to the hair and body, and pollutants are dispersed into the air off clothes."

Respiratory illness was more prevalent in households with smokers than smoke-free homes. Children exposed to higher air nicotine levels were three times more likely to have asthma or wheeze than those not exposed.

The researchers found that air-conditioning or opening windows did not sufficiently reduce environmental tobacco smoke.

They also say that particulate levels related to gas heating and cooking were accounted for in this study.

The study adds to previous research, which shows that environmental tobacco smoke impacts more in early childhood when the immune system and lungs are developing.

Source: ABC Science, 16th June 2008
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