CHILDRE How We Can Protect Our

and Traditions from

Secondhand Smoke

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Secondhand smoke is a danger to our

Tribal Nations.

Secondhand smoke comes from lit cigarettes and cigars. It also 

comes from smoke breathed out by smokers. When children breathe 

secondhand smoke, it is like they are smoking, too. 

Secondhand smoke is made up of thousands of chemicals. Many 

are poisons that stay in your body. What do these poisons do? The 

U.S. Surgeon General asked scientists to find out. They found that 

secondhand smoke harms everyone, especially children. They also 

learned that

• An estimated 58 million nonsmoking Americans, including 14 million

children aged 3-11 years, are exposed to secondhand smoke.

• They breathe it at home, day care, and in cars.

• American Indian adults and teens smoke more than any other group

in the United States.

Here are just a few of the chemicals and poisons in commercial 

tobacco smoke.

1

14 million children aged 

3-11 years are exposed to

secondhand smoke.

Butane

Used in lighter 

fluid

Toluene

Found in paint 

thinners

Cadmium

Used in making 

batteries

Ammonia

Used in 

household 

cleaners

Benzene

Found in gasoline

Hydrogen 

cyanide

Used in chemical 

weapons

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How does secondhand smoke hurt 

our children?

Commercial tobacco smoke harms babies, even before they 

are born. It harms children, too, because their lungs and 

bodies are still growing.

• Pregnant women who

breathe secondhand

smoke are more likely

to have low birth weight

babies. Low birth weight

is a leading cause of

infant death.

• Babies who breathe

secondhand smoke

are more likely to die

unexpectedly from

sudden infant death

syndrome (SIDS),

also called crib death.

American Indian babies

are twice as likely to die

from SIDS.

• Babies and children who breathe secondhand smoke are

sick more often with bronchitis, pneumonia, and ear

infections.

• For children with asthma, breathing secondhand smoke

can trigger an attack. The attack can be severe enough to

send a child to the hospital. Sometimes an asthma attack

is so severe that a child dies.

2

Keeping babies away from 

secondhand smoke lowers their 

chances of dying from SIDS.

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3

Children can’t hide from secondhand 

smoke at home. Here’s why...

Smoking in another room like a bathroom or bedroom

pollutes all the air in your home. In an apartment, smoke in 

one room can go through the whole building.

• Smoking outside in a hall or stairwell does not protect

children inside. Smoke goes under doors, windows, and

through cracks.

• To protect the children inside, homes and apartment

buildings must be smoke-free.

No amount of secondhand smoke is safe. Even when you 

can’t smell it, cigarette smoke can still harm your child.

• Opening a window or using a fan does not protect

children.

• Air purifiers and air fresheners do not remove smoke’s

poisons.

• Smoke from one cigarette can stay in a room for hours.

Don’t smoke at home, even when children aren’t there.

Allowing people to smoke in only one room 

does not protect children. Cigarette smoke 

from outside gets inside, too. Print Only
We must protect children from 

secondhand smoke everywhere.

At Home. If you take care of children in your home, do not 

allow anyone to smoke inside. Do not let babysitters, family 

members, or friends smoke around your children.

In Day Care. Make sure smoking is not allowed in your 

child’s day care.

At School. Make sure your child’s school is smoke-free 

inside and out. All school events should be “No Smoking.” 

In Public. Choose restaurants and businesses that are 

smoke-free. “No Smoking” sections in restaurants do not 

protect children from secondhand smoke.

In Your Car. Do not allow anyone to smoke if children are 

riding in your car. Rolling down a window does not protect 

them.

4

Our children are so important. Ask family and visitors not to 

smoke around them.

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5

Take simple steps to protect your 

children from secondhand smoke.

Children respect and learn from elders’ actions and words.

As caregivers, we teach our children by the choices we make.

• Ask people not to smoke around your children.

• Support family and friends who want to stop smoking.

• Decide to have a smoke-free home and car. Ask friends

to respect your decision.

• Get rid of all ashtrays in your home.

• Teach your children to stay away from secondhand

smoke. Encourage your teens not to smoke.

• If you smoke, quit. Ask your doctor, family, and friends

to help. Call this free quit-line: 1-800-QUIT-NOW

(1-800-784-8669).

Elders can help protect children from the 

dangers of secondhand smoke.

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Special Note to Tribal Elders

6

You are the keepers of traditions and lead our communities 

in decision making. Please lead us to protect our 

children from secondhand smoke. Our tribe’s 

future depends on our children.

To order and download copies of this brochure, go to

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/order-pubs.

For more information on protecting children from secondhand 

smoke, please visit 

www.cdc.gov/tobacco

For free information on how to quit smoking, call

1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)

or visit

www.smokefree.gov

Tips From Former Smokers® campaign

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/

This brochure was developed with guidance from five Talking 

Circles representing 27 tribes.

It is based on information in the following publications:

Exposure to Secondhand Smoke Among Nonsmokers—United States, 

1988–2014

The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: 

A Report of the Surgeon General, and its summary, 

Secondhand Smoke: What it Means to You.

To download the two latter publications, go to 

www.cdc.gov/tobacco and click on “Surgeon General’s Report” 

 To order free copies, go to

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/order-pubs.

Revised, January 2019

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CHILDREN

How We Can Protect Our

and Traditions

Does anyone smoke near your children?

Do you allow people to smoke anywhere 

in your home?

Do you live in a building where 

neighbors smoke?

Do you allow smoking in your car?

Do your children visit places where 

people are smoking?

Is smoking allowed outside your day 

care, school, or church?

YES NO

If you checked “Yes” to any of the above, your children are 

not safe from commercial tobacco smoke.

Are your children in danger from 

secondhand smoke?

Printed in USA

S280992B

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