The effects of secondhand smoke on children can be more serious because their bodies are still developing.

• 42% of children in the UK live in a home where someone smokes. Despite nearly 60% of smokers admitting they disapprove of smoking cigarettes with a child present in a room or car, 28% continue to do so.
• Secondhand smoke contains poisonous gases, tar and thousands of toxic chemicals. These poisons get into the bodies of children who live in smoky atmospheres. Children are even more sensitive to smoke than adults as their bodies are young and still developing. It is not safe for children to be in a room where someone is smoking even if the room is not smoky as 85% of smoke is invisible and odourless.

Babies and children exposed to a smoky atmosphere are:

• Twice as likely to have asthma attacks and chest infections
• More likely to need hospital care in their first year of life
• Off sick from school more often
• More likely to get more coughs, colds and wheezes
• Medical research also shows they have:
• Much higher risk of cot death than the children of non-smokers
• Increased risk of meningitis
• More chance of getting ear infections and 'glue ear', which can lead to partial deafness

What can I do if my family and friends are smokers?

Let them know before they visit that you are keeping your home smoke free for your children's health. Ask if they would help by smoking outside or before they visit. Explain that children get ill through secondhand smoke.

Encourage them to book an appointment with Must Stop Smoking!

How can I discourage my children from wanting to smoke?

Research shows that children who live with smokers are much more likely to start themselves. Smoking is a difficult habit to break, so it is important to encourage children never to start.

(Source - NHS Stop Smoking Information)