"I know what you mean, kinda"
Sorry, what I left out were the words "parents of" as in the parents of everyone I knew and went to school with while growing up, smoked. Yet none of them had asthma. Not a one.
I really believe it's genetic. I understand that smoking around asthmatics is harmful. But I find it hard to believe that parents' or grandparents' smoking causes kids to have asthma. One of my kids is asthmatic and - surprise! - so was his grandmother.
Yes asthma is genetic, as allergy is genetic. As I a sure you have learned because of your asthmatic child, asthma is allergy related. No allergies no asthma. You become allergic to things you are exposed to. Why you will become allergic to some things, cats, for instance and not dogs, is unknown to me.
I am 64 and my brother is 60, we grew up in a world where everyone smoked and tobacco smoke still makes us choke up and have difficulty breathing. He has a number of things that will bring on an asthma attack, with me it is just tobacco smoke.