Interventions by Health Care Professionals Who Provide Routine Child Health Care to Reduce Tobacco Smoke Exposure in Children

Abstract

It is estimated that approximately 40% of the world’s children are exposed to secondhand smoke.¹ Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of respiratory infections, ear infections, meningococcal disease, asthma, and sudden infant death syndrome.^2,3 As such, reducing children’s exposure to secondhand smoke has been identified by the World Health Organization⁴ as a global public health priority. Emerging evidence indicates that children may be at further risk from the accumulation of toxic residue from secondhand smoke on indoor surfaces, known as thirdhand smoke.^5,6 To encompass the entirety of tobacco’s harms, secondhand smoke exposure and thirdhand smoke exposure are collectively referred to as tobacco smoke exposure (TSE).⁷