The danger of Environmental tobacco smoke on children

I choose this specific topic because a few weeks ago a new student arrived in my class, unfortunately both of her parents are smokers. This little girl smells of cigarettes so bad, it I so that it makes me cough every time she gets near me. I am very concerned with her condition because she has difficulties breathing especially in her nap time. Also I have noticed she has ear infection constantly. I have talked with her mom and told her she should take her to the doctor. The way she has difficulty breathing is not normal, even compared to other children. I am not allowed to expose my opinion to the parents that’s why I told them to take her to the doctor, and hopefully the doctor advices them about this fact. I also talked to my directors but unfortunately they said there was nothing we could do to help the little girl. That is why I hope more people come to know about the harm that tobacco has not only for those who smoke it, but also and most importantly on the children.
(ETS) is a mixture of several toxic compounds and is the primary cause of poor indoor air quality and respiratory health problems in children. This is a big problem that in recent years we have seen improvement as stated in A Healthy People 2010 objective calls for reducing the proportion of children aged 6 years and younger who are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke in the home from 20 percent in 1998 to 6 percent by 2010. According to the 2005 National Health Interview Survey, this proportion may already be as low as 8 percent, suggesting that, with sustained and expanded efforts, we may be able to achieve this target. But as Julie Louise Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H. Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry states that children are more heavily exposed to secondhand smoke than adults. Almost 60 percent of U.S. children aged 3-11 years, or almost 22 million children, are exposed to secondhand smoke. So it is crucial we continue to inform people of the illness that this addiction bring upon our children. Here are some factors that cause danger in several areas of a children’s health:

Children’s lungs and respiratory tracts
Exposure to ETS decreases lung efficiency and impairs lung function in children of all ages. It increases both the frequency and severity of childhood asthma. Secondhand smoke can aggravate sinusitis, rhinitis, cystic fibrosis, and chronic respiratory problems such as cough and postnasal drip. It also increases the number of children’s colds and sore throats. In children under two, ETS exposure increases the likelihood of bronchitis and pneumonia. In fact, a 1992 study by the Environmental Protection Agency says ETS causes 150,000 – 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections each year in infants and children under 18 months old. These illnesses result in as many as 15,000 hospitalizations. Children of parents who smoke half a pack a day or more are at nearly double the risk of hospitalization for a respiratory illness.

The ears
Exposure to ETS increases both the number of ear infections a child will experience, and the duration of the illness. Inhaled smoke irritates the eustachian tube, which connects the back of the nose with the middle ear. This causes swelling and obstruction which interferes with pressure equalization in the middle ear, leading to pain, fluid and infection. Ear infections and middle ear fluid are the most common cause of children’s hearing loss. When they do not respond to medical treatment, the surgical insertion of tubes into the ears is often required. Secondhand smoke puts teenagers at a higher risk for low-frequency sensor neural hearing loss that is directly related to level of exposure, and most affected individuals are unaware of