Asthma, children and smoking

Cigarette smoke can trigger asthma symptoms or an asthma attack, and smoke of all kinds is a common trigger. Children are particularly sensitive to tobacco smoke because their lungs are smaller, more delicate and still developing.

The effects of second-hand smoke#

Children who live with people who smoke have higher rates of asthma than children living with non-smokers, and their asthma is triggered more often. For children who already have asthma, exposure to second-hand smoke increases the risk of:

• Developing symptoms earlier in life
• Having more symptoms
• Having more frequent asthma flare-ups

Smoking during pregnancy#

Smoking during pregnancy can severely affect the developing baby. It increases the risk of childhood wheeze and harms the child’s lung function. Smoking by other people around a pregnant person can also affect the unborn baby and may lead to a lower birth weight.

Smoking during pregnancy is linked to a range of serious risks, including:

• Sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI), previously known as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or ‘cot death’
• Miscarriage
• Stillbirth
• Complications during birth
• A low-weight baby who is more vulnerable to infection and to health problems in adulthood
• Preterm delivery (birth at less than 37 weeks)
• The baby being born with weaker lungs, which may persist into adulthood
• The baby having a weaker immune system
• The baby being overweight or obese in childhood

Smoking around an infant can also increase the risk of SUDI.

E-cigarettes and asthma#

E-cigarettes are likely to be less harmful than tobacco cigarettes, but they still contain potentially toxic chemicals, and the short- and long-term effects of vaping remain unknown. We do not know for certain how e-cigarettes affect asthma and children’s health, but they could make asthma worse. It is safer for your child to avoid inhaling anything that could be harmful.

Smoking and vaping laws#

Many countries and regions have laws that restrict smoking and vaping in enclosed workplaces and in public places where people, especially children, could be exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke or e-cigarette aerosol. These commonly include enclosed venues such as restaurants and cafes, areas around the entrances to schools and childcare centers, children’s playgrounds and sporting venues, public transport stops, and motor vehicles carrying children. Rules vary from place to place, so check the laws that apply where you live.

Quitting smoking for your children#

Quitting smoking can be challenging, and you may try more than once before you succeed. But it is one of the best things you will ever do for your own health and wellbeing, and for your children’s.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for advice on how to start and the tools available to you. You might find nicotine patches, inhalers or gum helpful, and telephone or online quit-support services can also help.

Parents and carers are role models for their children. When you quit smoking, you set a great example for the children around you and reduce the chance that they will take up smoking later in life. You also reduce your own and your children’s risk of developing asthma or of worsening asthma symptoms.

Key points#

• Cigarette smoke can trigger asthma, and children are especially sensitive because their lungs are still developing.
• Second-hand smoke increases the risk of earlier, more frequent and more severe asthma symptoms in children.
• Smoking during pregnancy harms lung function, increases the risk of childhood wheeze, and is linked to SUDI and many other serious outcomes.
• E-cigarettes still contain potentially toxic chemicals and could make asthma worse, so it is safest to avoid inhaling them.
• Quitting smoking protects your children’s health and reduces the chance they will smoke or develop asthma.

Where to get help#