How can I protect my young son from secondhand smoke?

Young children are even more vulnerable than adults to the toxins in secondhand smoke. Opening a window, sitting in a separate area, or using ventilation, air conditioning, or a fan cannot eliminate secondhand smoke exposure. You can protect your son by making your home and car smoke-free zones.

Here are some other tips:

• Make sure that your son's school or day care center is smoke-free.
• Choose restaurants and other businesses that are smoke-free. Teach your son to stay away from secondhand smoke.

Breathing even a little secondhand smoke can be harmful. The U.S. Surgeon General recently released a report stating that infants and children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), pneumonia, bronchitis, ear infections, and more severe asthma.

You may find it helpful to read The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. You can find it on the Surgeon General's sebsite here.

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