Study: Secondhand Smoke Exposure Doubles Risk of Mental Health Problems in Kids

July 12th, 2011

New research published in the July 2011 edition of Pediatrics found that children exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS) at home are twice as likely to develop mental health problems like ADD or ADHD as children in smoke-free homes. Study authors from Harvard estimate that 274,000 cases of common behavioral disorders could have been prevented with smoke-free homes. The link between secondhand smoke exposure and mental health problems joins a growing body of evidence outlining the dangers of secondhand smoke – recent studies have linked childhood secondhand smoke exposure with depression, anxiety disorder, and becoming a smoker. Furthermore, the U.S. Surgeon General has stated that there is “no safe amount of secondhand smoke,” as SHS exposure can cause heart disease and lung cancer in adults and asthma, respiratory infections, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in children. Read more about the negative health effects of secondhand smoke.

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