September 15, 1999

Contact: Bonnie Widerburg, (971) 673-1282

SECONDHAND SMOKE THREATENS CHILDREN

Oregon children exposed unnecessarily to this deadly toxin 

A killer lurks in our own backyard and its name is secondhand smoke, according to an international health organization's warning to parents. Secondhand smoke seriously damages the health of almost half the world's children, according to the World Health Organization (W.H.O.).

"Children all across Oregon breathe secondhand smoke every day," Clay Parton, state tobacco program manager said. "Exposure to this deadly smoke creates a huge problem for children and adults."

Children whose mothers smoke have 70% more respiratory problems including croup, bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma. The report mentions that exposure to secondhand smoke may cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Infants of mothers who smoked were five times more likely to die than babies of non-smokers.

Seven hundred million children breathe secondhand smoke produced by the 1.2 billion adults who smoke near them, according to a report presented by the W.H.O. at a recent conference on health and the environment in London. The report detailed the impact of secondhand smoke on so many children that it "constitutes a substantial public health threat."

Secondhand smoke exposure isn't the only area of concern for public health advocates, with recent studies highlighting the effects of nicotine on pre-natal development.

"An additional area of concern for us is the continued use of tobacco by expectant mothers," Parton added. "Exposing a developing fetus to nicotine places the new child at risk for several serious disorders."

In Oregon, 19% of women use tobacco during pregnancy, exposing the developing fetus to a mix of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. Among children in Oregon, 24% live in homes where they breathe secondhand smoke. As a result of inhaling secondhand smoke, these children suffer from increased asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome just like children in the rest of the world.

Evidence shows that secondhand smoke alters brain development in children and accelerates their onset of heart disease. Parents who don't stop smoking should protect their children from secondhand smoke by never smoking around them in enclosed spaces like the home or the car, according to Parton.

Oregon Quit Line, a toll-free telephone call, is a cessation counseling service available to Oregonians. To quit tobacco for good, call: 1-877-270-STOP (English), 1-877-2NO FUME (Spanish), or 1-877-777-6534 (TTY).