More than 6,000 kids in U.S. die from secondhand smoke, study says

By Staff Writer

Approximately 165,000 children in the world die each year because of secondhand tobacco smoke, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO).

While most of the deaths occur in poor countries, the group said that more than 6,200 kids in the U.S. die each year because of their parents' smoking habits. Children who are around secondhand smoke are also at risk of suffering from smoke pollution, which can lead to lower tract respiratory infections and asthma.

The report - which was published in the journal The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine - states that children are far more sensitive to secondhand tobacco than adults, yet kids have the least amount of options of escaping unhealthy environments. While most adults can choose whether or not to go into an establishment or a vehicle that contains smoke, most young children are unable to choose if they want to be in a smoking environment.

The anti-smoking agency Action on Smoking and Health is attempting to develop legal arguments that would prompt judges to ban smoking in homes and vehicles when children are present.

Children who adopt their parent or guardian's smoking habit during adolescence also run the risk of encountering trouble. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, early experimenters and smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to experience various behavioral problems by grade 12.