Parents urged to protect kids from passive smoking

06 Mar 2008

Exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke has been proven to increase the risk of numerous illnesses in children, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

A recent global study from the school revealed that 82% of parents who smoked admitted to smoking around their children.

Findings of the research, conducted in 31 countries, found that the concentration of nicotine levels in the air of smokers' households were 17 times higher than in the homes of non-smokers.

Lead author, Dr Heather Wipfli, project director at the Bloomberg School's Institute for Global Tobacco Control, said: "Our research clearly shows that parents are failing to protect their children from secondhand smoke exposure, perhaps because they are unaware of the risks.

"The results highlight the need to improve public awareness of the importance of going outside to smoke to limit the exposure to children living in the home."

According to the study, the median air nicotine levels were highest in the homes of smokers in Europe.

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