World No Tobacco Day 2018: Things parents should do to shield children from perils of passive smoking

Dr Vivek Anand Padegal, Director Pulmonology, Fortis Hospitals, Bangalore, shares some tips on how you can do it.

Passive smoking is as dangerous as active smoking. If kids are exposed to second-hand smoke for a prolonged period it can be dangerous and life-threatening. Exposure to second-hand smoking makes children more vulnerable to various problems. Some of the problems they can encounter include ear infections, coughs and colds, tooth decay and respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Here is why you should never smoke in front of your kids, ever.

Apart from that second-hand smoke can lead to cognitive problems in children exposed; reading deficits and lower IQs have been noted. As the child grows, the risk of the child having less-developed lungs into adulthood compared to other children who are not exposed to smoke. They are also more prone to bronchitis and pneumonia. This is why it becomes imperative for parents to save their kids from the perils of second-hand smoking. Here are myths about tobacco and lung cancer debunked by an expert.

Here Dr Vivek Anand Padegal, Director Pulmonology, Fortis Hospitals, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore, shares some tips on how you can do it.

Precautions to be taken:

• Create a smoke-free environment for your kid. Do it consciously. If you are a chronic smoker and find it difficult to kick the butt, at least avoid smoking near your children. If you are pregnant then stop the habit asap.
• At home, do not allow people to smoke inside your house, especially if there are pregnant women and infants. Young adults and teenagers are equally vulnerable so make it a point to prevent smoking inside your premises.
• If you are travelling long distance with kids make sure the passengers seated in the car follow the strict policy of not smoking during the travel
• Many of the children spend their childhood in daycare centres; parents must ensure that their child's daycare is tobacco-free
• Opt for restaurants that do not allow smoking. Having a no-smoking section doesn't really help.
• Live healthy lives. Follow a balanced diet and have plenty of fluids so it improves your child's immunity and if he/she is exposed to the chemicals it can still provide resistance from bugs.
• Encourage your child to exercise regularly. Keeping a healthy body weight is important to safeguard from various illnesses.

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