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The Risks to Children are Widely Acknowledged
The conclusion that secondhand smoke causes respiratory effects in children is widely shared and virtually undisputed. Even the tobacco industry does not contest these effects in its media and public relations campaign.
EPA estimates that every year, between 150,000 and 300,000 children under 1-1/2 years of age get bronchitis or pneumonia from breathing secondhand tobacco smoke, resulting in thousands of hospitalizations. In children under 18 years of age, secondhand smoke exposure also results in more coughing and wheezing, a small but significant decrease in lung function, and an increase in fluid in the middle ear. Children with asthma have more frequent and more severe asthma attacks because of exposure to secondhand smoke, which is also a risk factor for the onset of asthma in children who did not previously have symptoms.
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http://www.epa.gov/smokefree/pubs/strsfs.html
Come on Ray........that’s a pretty wide range of numbers, isn’t it? Between 150,000 and 300,000? They can’t come up with a better guesstimate, yet know without doubt the sole cause is exposure to SHS? How many children under age 1.5 come down with bronchitis or pneumonia who are NEVER exposed?
The EPA had to doctor their numbers to “determine” SHS was a carcinogen to begin with, why should anything they say about SHS be trusted?
Please note, and not well........I am only questioning the numbers of the EPA
I don’t disagree that SHS causes ear infections in chilruns and can aggravate asthma. I’ve told you before I don’t smoke around my kids in the house or in the car...because unlike selfish drunks and obese women in bars they don’t have a choice whether to be there or not.
I do have a problem with the AGENDA AFFLICTED people who use the chilruns to advance their agenda of reducing smoking rates. Do you want me to post pictures and articles of what real child abuse looks like. Just from todays paper?