Are children susceptible to the toxins present in secondhand smoke?
Yes. Secondhand smoke has a marked effect on the health of infants and children. They are more vulnerable than adults because they are still developing physically and generally have higher breathing rates, which means they may inhale greater quantities of secondhand smoke than do adults. Secondhand smoke exposure causes as many as 300,000 children in the United States, under the age of 18 months, to suffer lower respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis; exacerbates childhood asthma; and increase the risk of acute, chronic, middle-ear infections in children.
