YNHH directory assist. In November, the National Cancer Institute made available the most comprehensive report ever conducted on the health risks of secondhand smoke. The 430-page report is a compilation of years of research and dozens of studies on various health effects of secondhand smoke in adults and children. Studies show that ETS causes increases in sudden infant death syndrome, middle ear infections, asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia.
Children are especially vulnerable because their lungs are still developing.
In one particular study, children exposed to ETS had significant increases in respiratory illnesses, including 21 percent more days of restricted activity 31 percent more days of bed confinement 39 percent more days of school absence than those not exposed. Dozens of other studies linked secondhand smoke with recurrent symptoms of coughing, wheezing and excessive phlegm production in children, particularly for infants and preschoolers. The report cites numerous studies showing that smoking contributes to the initiation of asthma in thousands of children and causes the onset of asthma attacks in thousands more. There is also some evidence that secondhand smoking affects lung growth and development, as measured by small but statistically significant decreases in pulmonary function tests. These reductions may persist into adulthood.