Toddlers
exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) are at increased risk of
vascular harm likely to lead to later heart disease – a risk doubled
if they are obese, says a new study.
In
the wake of the findings, health and child welfare groups have renewed
their call for all crowded child-accessible public places to be
smokefree by law – especially outdoor dining areas.
The
study, presented to a conference of the American Heart Association*,
also found:
·
toddlers
(aged 2-5) had four times greater risk of SHS exposure than
adolescents, despite having similar reported levels of home exposure;
·
toddlers
exposed to SHS suffered 30% decrease in a type of cell involved in
repair and maintenance of blood vessels; and
·
obese
adolescents (aged 9-18) exposed to SHS had twice the evidence of
vascular injury compared to normal-weight adolescents.
The
authors say their findings “add to the importance of eliminating
smoking and related exposures, especially for children, and obese
children may need to be even more protected from these exposures.”
Stafford
Sanders, co-ordinator of the Protecting Children from Tobacco
coalition of 40 non-government organisations, comments: “This study
confirms the importance of making all child-accessible public areas
100% smokefree by law, whatever their enclosure.
“Given
the combined harm of smoke exposure and obesity, it makes good sense
to separate smoking from all public eating areas, enclosed or
otherwise.”
Only
Queensland
has made all public food service areas smokefree. The ACT Government
has committed to go further, introducing legislation to make all fixed
public eating areas smokefree. WA
and
Tasmania
have legislated to protect some but not all outdoor dining areas from
smoke. NSW, Victoria, SA
and the NT have barely moved on the issue, leaving local governments
to make piecemeal reforms.
“We
need to reject this issue being portrayed in terms of ‘adult
choices’ and ‘accommodating smokers’”, says Stafford Sanders.
“Children don’t have a choice in al fresco dining areas – they have to sit with their parents or
carers, and if that’s in a smoky place then they’re harmed by the
smoke.
“Tobacco
smoke is not a lifestyle choice, it’s a toxic contaminant and needs
to be treated as such.
“All
our organisations – representing parents, carers, health, child
welfare, church and many other groups – call upon all jurisdictions
to follow the responsible, best-practice reforms of the ACT and
Queensland and get children fully protected from tobacco smoke.”
* See Science
Daily report at
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118101354.htm
Comment/media
info:
Stafford Sanders, co-ordinator PCFT
ph. (02) 9334-1823;
m. 0412-070-194
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