Passive smoking: children at risk even if you smoke outside the home

Passive smoking is the involuntary inhalation of smoke released by one or more smokers. The people most exposed to passive smoking are those around the smoker. The children of smokers are therefore the first victims of passive smoking. To protect them, most parents go outside the home to smoke their cigarettes. But according to a recent study, this reflex would not be enough to protect children from passive smoking. “Contrary to what one might think, smoking in front of the entrance to the house or at the window does not protect children. Our study shows that children are still exposed to tobacco smoke in these outdoor spaces at home”, explains Professor Leah Laura Rosen, co-author of the study.

Nicotine found in the hair of children exposed to passive smoking

To achieve this, Professor Rosen and his team analyzed hair samples from children with smoking parents to see if they contained nicotine. All parents had assured smoking outside the house. The analysis revealed the presence of nicotine in the hair of six out of ten children. This proves that passive smoking does not stop at the door or the windows of the house. To reduce children’s exposure to tobacco smoke, researchers recommend that smokers avoid smoking within a radius of at least 10 meters around the house and maintain a distance of 10 meters from children when smoking. outside.

The authors of the study also point out that passive smoking is not only exposure to visible tobacco smoke, it is also exposure to the toxins of tobacco smoke and nicotine present on the skin, hands, hair and clothing of smokers. “It is advisable to brush your teeth, wash your hands and change your clothes after smoking”, recommends Professor Rosen.

Why is passive smoking toxic?

In an information brochure, Public Health France recalls that tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 chemical substances including nicotine, irritants, toxic products (carbon monoxide) and more than 50 carcinogens. Smoking can aggravate existing pathologies and create new ones. Smoking in the presence of a child leads to:

• irritation of the eyes, nose and throat;
• an increased frequency of nasopharyngitis and otitis;
• a greater risk of asthma attacks and respiratory infections;
• a small but significant decrease in lung development.