Larger issue here is, of course: women. (Dons flame-retardant material). Ever since they got uppity with this women's lib crap (not to mention getting the vote), they do what women do: worry and fret and try to keep their kids safe from anything and everything. I mean, it's a natural instinct, there is no faulting that. The fault is the excesses this has been carried to through overempowerment. Oh, and certain geldings like Ralph Nader.
Kids are gonna get sick, skin their knees, break an arm climbing a tree, run through poison oak. That's what they do. That's what they HAVE to do, and aren't being allowed to do by a combination of government regulation, state education, and a de-balled society in general.
There's a whole Taoist discussion that could be brought in here, but basically, it can be summed as: we've lost our natural balance. If it's not regained one way, nature has a way of correcting us in another.
I was brought up in the 50's and 60's. ALL THE ADULTS SMOKED! I worked in a nightclub, where everyone smoked. Other jobs I had.........everyone smoked. Going out to nightclubs at night with friends, drinking and smoking and NO smoke eaters!
I could go on and on but you already know what I am going to say.............there was NO ASTHMA back in those days. NONE. And kids weren't so sickly either.
The anti's today would have everyone believe that asthma and all the ill health of kids are blamed on smoking. But I don't think there are many today that smoke around their kids, do you? The Health Department has embedded guilt in responsible adults so deep that they don't DARE smoke around their kids.
I'm sick of this War on the Smokers and I sure am sick of TRUTH and all the Partnership for a Tobacco Free Coalition across the U.S. (I need a cigarette to calm down...........)