Incidence of childhood cancer increased 1% per year between 1974 and 1991; incidence of childhood asthma increased 60% between 1980 and 1991; 29 of 38 types of birth defects increased between 1980 and 1991.
From Statistical Abstracts of the United States:
In 1967, 56.3% of males between ages 25-44 (most likely to have young children in the home), and 41.3% of females aged 25-44 smoked. In 1998, 29% of males in that age range and 25% of females smoked.
From the same chart: 66% of children 0-5 were treated for lower respiratory problems in 1967; 79.7% were treated in 1989; 72% of children 6-16 were treated in 1967; 90.6% were treated in 1989.
Asthma rates in the inner city are eight times what they are in suburbia; far more asthma and other respiratory illnesses occur along heavily used highways.
Like you, I grew up in a smoking family, as did my parents and their parents and on down the line, and not one of us has EVER had a "smoking-related" illness. But when crap like this is published, and the sheeple read or hear it, they believe it. So when our illustrious civil serpents get the slick, professional pr pieces from the antis that claim children are dropping like flies due to parental smoking, they'll pass a law and the sheeple will rejoice. We are way down that slippery slope and they are greasing the skids.