There are over 4,000 chemicals including . Children are especially susceptible to these poisons. For them, exposure to secondhand smoke can cause middle ear effusion, decreased lung function, increase lower respiratory tract infection and the intensity of asthma conditions. Each year secondhand smoke causes up to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis in children less than 18 months old.
Passive smoke can lead to a build-up of fluid in the middle ear.
This is the most common reason children are hospitalized for an operation. ETS exposure is a risk factor for new causes of asthma in children who have not previously displayed symptoms.