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What is environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), or second-hand smoke?
Environmental tobacco smoke (also called second-hand smoke) is the smoke breathed out by a smoker (mainstream smoke) plus the smoke that comes directly from burning tobacco, like the end of a cigarette (sidestream smoke). It has many dangerous chemicals in it. Second-hand smoke is a known cause of cancer in humans, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Is it okay to smoke around my baby or child?
Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke puts children at risk for serious health problems. Breathing in second-hand smoke (ETS) is also called “involuntary smoking” or “passive smoking”). Can you imagine giving a cigarette to your two-year-old? That is practically what is happening when people smoke around your child.
Smoking around kids and babies puts them at risk for:
Exposure to environmental smoke increases kids’ risk later in life of:
- Lung cancer
- Heart disease
- Cataracts (of the eyes)
If you smoke, don’t smoke around your children.
Don’t let other people smoke around your kids either.
For more information on second hand smoke:
What if my child has asthma?
Kids with asthma especially need clean air to breathe. Second hand smoke can trigger asthma attacks.
What are the particular dangers for kids with sickle cell disease?
Kids with sickle cell disease who are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at home have more than twice as many episodes of pain (known as "crises") as sickle cell patients who were not exposed. Sickle cell crises involve serious symptoms, and often require hospitalization. Researchers in one study estimate that ETS exposure increases the risk of crisis by 90% among children with sickle cell disease. [1]
How can I prevent my kids from smoking if I smoke?
- Check out Smoke-Free Kids, a research-based program to help parents who smoke prevent their kids from smoking , [2] [3].
- For even more information and resources, see YourChild: Tobacco and Kids.
What about smoking during pregnancy?
Smoking during pregnancy has been linked to 10 percent of all infant deaths [4]. It is the main risk factor contributing to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) [5] [6]. Being exposed to mom’s cigarette smoking during pregnancy is a risk factor after birth for wheezing and asthma in children up to two years old [7]. Cigarette smoking delivers thousands of chemicals to an unborn baby, some of which are well-documented reproductive toxins—for example, carbon monoxide and lead. Researchers have found many different abnormalities at the microscopic level in placentas, fetuses, and newborns of pregnant women who smoke. Smoking during pregnancy is also a risk factor for very preterm birth.[8]
In a review of the research evidence on prenatal tobacco exposure and development problems [9] , the author says that prenatal exposure to tobacco seems to affect newborn neurological development and behavior. In studies of animals exposed in utero to carbon monoxide and nicotine, these toxins harmed thinking and behavior. So, we can probably say that smoking during pregnancy may cause your baby’s brain and nervous system to develop abnormally, as carbon monoxide and nicotine are likely also neurotoxic in the developing human.
Smoking early on and through pregnancy is linked to worse pregnancy outcomes. Some of the harmful effects can be avoided by reducing smoking, although not nearly as much as by not smoking. [10]
Talk to your doctor about quitting smoking or cutting back while pregnant. Nicotine replacement therapy may be an option [11].
How can I get help quitting smoking?
Where can I find more information?
What are some organizations and governmental agencies that address second-hand smoke and tobacco use?
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Citations
Written and compiled by Kyla Boyse, R.N. Reviewed by faculty and staff at the University of Michigan.
Updated October 2006
U-M Health System Related Sites
U-M Pediatrics
Our editorial policy
The information and links we provide are reviewed by University of Michigan developmental and behavioral pediatricians and child psychologists who are experts in child behavioral health. In choosing the links we provide, we use strict criteria to ensure that the information is accurate, and the source is reputable. As much as possible, we focus on information that is based on research. In areas where there is inadequate research, we include information compatible with prevailing expert opinion.
This website is updated regularly, but because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, we cannot be responsible for misinformation that may be accessed through the links provided. As always, this website is not a tool for self-diagnosis, and is not a substitute for professional care.
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