Smoking around kids exacts a high toll: studies

Smoking today stands out like a big elephant in the middle of a room. I don’t even know anyone in my personal circle that smokes – which is a far cry from my social circle when I was in my 20s. Times sure have changed.  Smoking is bad enough for the smoker – including causing CANCER, but to then have it affect the future generation is far worse. I remember driving in my parent’s cars with them smoking – the window open just a crack. WTF – really. Times have changed for the better thank goodness.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – American kids can breathe a sigh of relief, according to a study out today in the journal Pediatrics that finds their exposure to second-hand smoke at home has dropped significantly since the mid-1990s.

But two other reports in the journal show that early-life exposure could lead to behavioral and health problems later in life.

Exposure to second-hand smoke is known to cause lung problems, asthma, ear infections and contribute to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Smoking during pregnancy has also been linked to a host of psychological problems in children, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and antisocial behavior. But scientists have had a hard time teasing out the direct effects of tobacco versus lifestyle factors and mental health in the home.