Research shows that, in Scotland, around four in ten children aged 8 to 15 in Scotland are subjected to the harm of passive smoking in their homes.
The reason passive smoking is such a danger to children is that they are more sensitive to smoke because their bodies are still developing. More than 17,000 under-fives in the UK experience the harm of passive smoking each year as they are admitted to hospital with illnesses caused by their parents smoking.
The harm of passive smoking to children and babies
Giving up smoking means that there is less risk of:
- Pneumonia
- Bronchitis
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Asthma
- Ear infections
Quitting also sets a good example. Children are much less likely to take up the habit themselves if their parents or older brothers or sisters don't smoke.