Tobacco smoking as it relates to the younger ones

Fri, May 11. 2012

by Furoque Billy MD, Member of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Medical Association.

Second-hand smoke (SHS), or Environmental Tobacco Smoke is defined as inhalation of tobacco smoke by persons other than the intended “active” smoker. Epidemiological analysis has shown that non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke are at risk for similar health related problems as active smokers. This risk is not only limited to adults, but also relates to children who inhabit the homes where one or more persons may be chronic smokers.{{more}}

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report on “Global estimate of the burden of disease from SHS”, it was estimated that a staggering 603,000 premature deaths in 2004 were caused by second-hand smoke. Of the total deaths, 28 per cent occurred in children and were in some way related to lower respiratory tract infections and asthma in children.

If one is to use the trends in tobacco smoking from 2004 to present day, the estimated deaths will be much higher than the figures recorded then. To show you how real a problem this is, the global average of children living with at least one smoking parent is estimated to be 41%. So on average, four in every five households will have a child who at one time or the other would of being exposed to second-hand smoke. Strong evidence exists to show links between second-hand smoke and increased incidence and prevalence of children with low birth weight, childhood chronic respiratory symptoms, lower respiratory illness, asthma, middle-ear effusion and infection in young children (otitis media) and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

One of the diseases that continue to be a burden to our local healthcare services is asthma, which is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lower respiratory airways that is characterized by reversible airway obstruction, intermittent attacks of wheezing, shortness of breath, and a feeling of tightness in the chest. It has being speculated that the onset of new cases as well as the exacerbation of childhood asthma has increased substantially in recent years. This may or may not be due to increase levels of second-hand smoke exposure in our children, but presently there is a high level of agreement among scientists that SHS causes new cases of asthma in children, as well as exacerbates the existing cases.

Asthma and some of the other aforementioned illnesses continues to be a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in our country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the world as a whole. These diseases continue to be the major contributors to emergency room attendance and hospitalization in children. They also result in increased numbers of absent school days and indirectly decreased productivity in the parents who have to take time off from their jobs to be with these children. This also puts extra burden on our already fragile health care sector to provide care for these increased numbers of cases, some of which could have being avoided by simple smoking cessation.

So from now on, when ever you think about buying a box of cigarettes, or take out a ‘stick’ to light-up, think of the children of our nation, the future of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the detrimental effects it will have on their future and their health.