Smoke Free Homes and Cars

Secondhand smoke places infants and children at greater risk for a number of serious health problems. The lungs of children and infants exposed to secondhand smoke do not develop properly and this affects how the lungs work. The infants and children are then more vulnerable to upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, severe asthma, and pneumonia. Ear infections are more frequent in these infants and children. Tobacco smoke is toxic to the nerves and can impair learning abilities and behavior. Exposure to secondhand smoke is life threatening to infants. Infants exposed to secondhand smoke are at higher risk of death from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS.

To protect infants and children from secondhand smoke, parents who smoke should make it a rule to not smoke in the house or in the car. Children should not be allowed to follow parents out to smoking areas. Visitors and other family members should be asked to follow the home and car rules about smoking as well.

The best thing a parent can do is to stop smoking. Quitting smoking is not easy but will protect the health of your most valuable possession, your child. For more information about quitting smoking call the Illinois Tobacco Quitline at 1-866-QUIT-YES (1-866-784-3937).

Link to related websites:

Environmental Protection Agency: Smoke Free Homes and Cars www.epa.gov/smokefree

IMPORTANT LINKS


American Lung Association (www.lungusa.org)

American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org)

American Cancer Society, National Web Site (www.cancer.org)

National Cancer Institute (www.nci.nih.gov)

Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov)