Living Smoke-free

Children and infants are at greater risk

For children, the damage can be more severe. Their lungs are still developing, and they breathe faster than adults do. As a result, they can develop sore throats, colds, ear infections, bronchitis and pneumonia – all of which happen more frequently to children who are exposed to second-hand smoke.

Babies exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and can develop breathing problems as early as 18 months.

The damage can even happen before birth; smoking is linked to low birth weight and a higher rate of infant mortality.

I’m a smoker. How can I protect my family?

The best thing you can do is QUIT.

But if you are not ready or able to make that decision, here are some tips for smokers who want to reduce their family and friends’ exposure to second-hand smoke:

• Try to make your home smoke free. If you can't quit, smoke outside. Cigarette smoke can stay in a room for hours, even if a window is open.
• Don’t smoke when there are other people in your car. It’s one of the most airtight places you can find, giving the smoke nowhere to escape.
• If you’re visiting a restaurant where smoking is allowed, sit down at a table with your family in the non-smoking area. Then slip away once or twice for a break when you need to.
• Be especially careful around children, pregnant women, and those who have heart disease and breathing problems.

… and there’s one other thing you can do:

Children are twice as likely to smoke if their parents smoke. As a parent, you carry a lot of weight with your child – more than you might think. Talking to our child is even more important for parents who smoke than for parents who don’t smoke. For tips on starting that conversation, read Talk About It Tips. (pdf file of brochure)

What about ventilation?

There is only one way to eliminate second-hand smoke from indoor air: remove the source.

• Second-hand smoke is a major source of indoor air pollution, and the greatest source of air particle pollution.
• There are currently no official indoor air quality standards dealing with second-hand smoke because there is no effective way of ventilating or cleaning the air of the toxic substances in second-hand smoke.
• Ventilation systems take away some of the smell or sight of tobacco smoke, but they do not deal with the harmful chemicals that are invisible and odourless. What that really means is that ventilation may dilute tobacco smoke, but it does not eliminate the health risks.
• Electronic air cleaning systems would need to increase the air-exchange rate a thousand times to be effective – resulting in gale force winds!

More information at Clean Air Coalition BC www.cleanaircoalitionbc.com

>>>> Tobacco Control

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