One of my favorite past times with my children are early evening walks embracing nature, knowledge, and fresh air. The scenery is breathtaking, especially with the assurance of autumn in the brisk air. Specifically, during this certain time of the year, I find great satisfaction in taking a deep breath and inhaling the fragrant aroma of nature, of fresh air, clean, and crisp. Yet, my joy hastily ends when the sudden smell of cigarette smoke engulfs me and my children. Sound familiar? Something must be done about this intrusion upon non-smoker's rights. Is our health so meaningless as to be put at the mercy of carcinogens and toxins? What about innocent children, who protects their body from such horrible poisons? I think a human beings health and wellbeing is not being considered, measured, or reflected when it comes to non-smokers rights. While, most businesses provide non-smoking rights to their customers within their buildings, others even provide non-smoking rights to include the property around their business. Secondhand smoke contains hazardous chemicals requiring serious measures to be taken to protect the non-smoker from critical health problems. Surprisingly enough, the average individual has no idea how harmful these toxins, carcinogens, and chemicals really are for their body and the environment around them. Individuals who smoke must educate themselves about the risks of secondhand smoke so they can take into account for others safety because it has been linked to respiratory health effects in children, it has been linked to certain infections in children, and it increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Illnesses, diseases, and infections are all side effects toward children when exposed to secondhand smoke. Small children have been diagnosed with aliments such as pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, and upper respiratory infections due to the chemicals in second hand smoke.
According to statistics by the EPA:
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure increases the risk of lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. EPA estimates that between 150,000 and 300,000 of these cases annually in infants and young children up to 18 months of age are attributable to exposure to ETS. Of these, between 7,500 and 15,000 will result in hospitalization. ETS exposure in children irritates the upper respiratory tract and is associated with a small but significant reduction in lung function. (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1993)
Older children whose parents smoke tend to get sick more easily compared to children who are not exposed to secondhand smoke. Coughing, wheezing, phlegm, and breathlessness are more common when the child is exposed to secondhand smoke. They can also contract bronchitis and pneumonia more often than a child with non-smoking parents. Secondhand smoke is very harmful for individuals of all ages, but the extensive ramifications towards small children show much higher than the consequences to young adults. Exposure of such significant risk seems not to deter the average smoker.
Why are certain illnesses more prone to secondhand smoke than others? What exactly are these illnesses and how are they contracted? The most common known sickness from secondhand smoke is pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection that is dangerous especially to the people who have weaker immune systems such as children and the elderly. Children are more susceptible to this type of illness because it affects certain organs that are still developing in their bodies. This infection is both treatable and preventable, yet children are still dying from such illnesses with secondhand smoke being a contributing factor for the health hazards of our youth: “Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection in the lungs that kills approximately 1.6 million children every year, making it the leading cause of child deaths worldwide” (“Pneumonia”, 2013). Another well-known sickness that occurs from secondhand smoke is bronchitis and asthma: “Tobacco smoke is the cause of more than 80% of all cases of chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is most common in smokers. Smoking (even for a brief time) and being around tobacco smoke, chemical fumes, and other air pollutants for long periods of time puts a person at risk for developing chronic bronchitis.” (Dowshen, 2010) Bronchitis is well known for individuals exposed to secondhand smoke because, the smoke intake from the non-smoker moves in into their lungs. Thus, the amount of smoke that the non-smoker intakes into the lungs causes the bronchi and mucus brain to then become inflamed causing the infection to the non-smoker. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening chronic respiratory disease that affects the quality of life for almost 25 million Americans, including an estimated 7 million children. Although there is no cure for asthma yet, asthma can be controlled through medical treatment and management of environmental triggers.” (“What is Asthma”, 2013). Chronic illnesses such as asthma, pneumonia, and bronchitis are just a few diseases related to smoking and secondhand smoke. As we continuously prove how dangerous and unsafe such an act is for our children and society, statistics seem to evidently change nothing. Not to mention, more than half of U.S. children with asthma are exposed to secondhand smoke, consequently, this action is substantially harmful for kids with such an illness,
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: shows from 1999 to 2010, the percentage of children without asthma exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) decreased from 57.3% to 44.2%, while children with asthma showed no change, with 57.9% exposed to ETS in 1999‒2002 and 54.0% exposed in 2007‒2010. In 2007‒2010, a higher percentage of children with asthma were exposed to ETS than children without asthma. (Quinto, Kit, Lukacs, & Akinbami, 2013)
Furthermore, protecting children with and without asthma is a priority. For example, a child with asthma will be required to take medication, be watched for signs and symptoms of an asthma attack, and may be refused when considering sports and other significant wants and desires in adolescent ages. This chronic illness affects not only the child but everyone involved with the child due to the severity of this disease. Secondhand smoke is a familiar asthma trigger. Secondhand smoke can damage the lungs of the individual that has asthma, even if that individual is a non-smoker.
Every parent’s main priority is the protection and safety of their children. Smoking is one of the most dangerous culprits, yet it does not stop a parent from smoking. A child is unable to protect themselves, therefore; they depend on their parents to protect them from dangers and hazards. Tobacco smoke harms babies before and after they are born. Mothers hurt their babies during pregnancy if they smoke or are around smoke. With their bodies still developing, the multitude of poisons, toxins, and chemicals found in tobacco smoke will hurt unborn fetuses, babies and children even more than adults. Babies under a year old have the most vulnerability:
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexplained death, usually during sleep, of a seemingly healthy baby. Sudden infant death syndrome is sometimes called crib death. The exact cause is unknown, but sudden infant death syndrome may be associated with abnormalities in the portion of an infant's brain that controls breathing and arousal from sleep. Although all babies are vulnerable, certain sleep environments have been linked to increased risk. (“Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)”, 2013)
Secondhand smoke is a known cause for SIDS. During pregnancy, many of the complex toxins, contagions, and poisons in secondhand smoke change the way a baby’s brain develops. Babies, who are around secondhand smoke after they are born, are more likely to die of SIDS than children who are not around secondhand smoke.
According to the website heartland.org Smokers’ Right, while most places of business have stopped the use of Tobacco, there are still plenty of places you can smoke. The bans on tobacco have had a negative effect on nightclubs, bars, restaurants, and casinos. (“Heartland Institute”, 2013). What if there is a ban in a certain place? What if some establishments choose to embrace smoking in their place of business, especially if they are smokers themselves? I would have to say that it would be up to the business owner, in which they could market their smoking friendly business. They can even go as far as to cater to the needs of everyone and offer a closed off smoking section. By closed off I mean completely closed off; most of the ones I have seen were closed off by glass walls and had an expensive exhaust system. A lot of places like bars or coffee shops have adapted to what the customer wants and go ahead to spend the extra money so they cater to everyone. My wife and I fly a lot due to orders, vacations, and military transfers that we are aware that there are a few airports in the United States such as Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee which all have smoking rooms available. In each of these airports, there is a closed off room that is open for smokers, with a daycare area directly across that way the children of the smoker are not near the smoke, but close enough to be watched by the parent. I think this situation is clever and ingenious for the right to smoke, and the well-being of the child. The 9th Amendment right states “The Enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” (Constitution, 1787) This amendment states that no right shall be denied or disparaged from others; therefore; this situation could be considered under the 9th Amendment. If laws are passed to force smokers to change their ways or prevent them from smoking, then where should we end the madness? Non-smoking laws and rules are denying the smoker the right to smoke when they want or desire to smoke. For example, in Toronto Canada, if a police officer sees an adult smoking in a vehicle with a minor under the age of 16 years old in the car, the smoker can be fined up to 500 dollars. (“Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights”, 2013) Should we stop people from using all the chemicals that are found in about everything we use daily? Eating bad foods? Drinking too much alcohol? Participating in risky activities? These types of laws or the so called push for becoming smoke free seems like a never ending battle of rights. And dealing with smoking outside would quite possibly be the most difficult fight of them all. While many feel it is safe to smoke outside the home and away from the children, this is a much safer solution than to smoke in a room with a child. I also think it would be effective to have a certain jacket or shirt you can wear while smoking that way it can be removed prior to being near any children. In fact, a lot of information has been released stating that non-smokers live much longer than smokers.
According to an article written by Carole Thompson:
The difference between never-smokers and current smokers is about seven years at ages 25-29, and 3 years at age 75+. In comparison, there is more than eight years difference in life expectancy between men and women among both smokers and never-smokers at ages 25-29, which diminishes to about five years at age 75+ years. (Thompson, 1993)
Second-hand smoke is a serious issue and though, we know it is unsafe the ignorance of safety and the well-being of innocent children is what should really be pushed. If you are educated with the facts and know there are safe outlets to allow adults to smoke without harming their children, the chances of keeping our kids safe will be increased immensely. There are new ways to help protect the environment, children, and society from toxic smoke that is released from cigarettes to include but not limit to, vapor cigarettes, chewing tobacco, pouch chew, multiple pills used to stop smoking, gums, mouth lousenges, and nicotine patches that can be used by a smoker. These options allow two things for the smoker, one to help them stop smoking all together, and two, to give them the allotted nicotine and tobacco needed to continue without using actual cigarettes.
The truth is children are affected by secondhand smoke; their bodies, organs, and mental growth are all disturbed by the inhalation of the chemicals involved in second hand smoke. We as adults have the right to choose if we want to smoke, but children are unable to make these decisions themselves. This is where we have to take a stand against harming our youth, our children, and the public: “Children exposed to secondhand smoke in the home are more likely than children in smoke-free homes to develop behavior and learning problems, according to new research. These include learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and behavior and conduct disorders.” (Doheny, 2011) "We found that children who are exposed to secondhand smoke in the home have a 50% increased odds of having two or three of these common neurobehavioral disorders," says researcher Hillel Alpert, ScM, at the Harvard School of Public Health (Doheny, 2011). It’s time to take society’s health, well-being, and welfare into consideration, and stand against the ability to smoke around those that do not. The infections, diseases, and illnesses occurring in non-smokers due to no fault of their own, is pointless, meaningless, and unfair.
People who smoke need to distinguish the risks they are exposing others to. The ailments and diseases that can happen due to secondhand smoke have been linked to respiratory health effects in children, increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and the health, wellbeing, and safety of the individuals around a smoker are at risk of these chronic illnesses due to no choice of their own. First and foremost, secondhand smoke is a serious problem for American children today. So how can we find a solution where everyone wins, and it’s fair for all? The problem is such a solution doesn't exist. Equal rights cannot apply in such a difficult issue. Teeter tottering from one side to another will not make the end result fair or equal to anyone. Freedom of choice should be a key factor when it comes to what we put in our own bodies, but secondhand smoke is chemicals, toxins, and poisons that are being ingested into an innocent bystander’s body. Therefore, you are revoking the other person’s right to choose. Why should one person be allowed to hold the authority to choose life or death for another person? Secondly, smoke causes chronic and very serious illnesses for children exposed to secondhand smoke. Pneumonia, bronchitis, and asthma are three very common illnesses and diseases caused by secondhand smoke that haunt our children for the rest of their lives. Medication, hospital visits, and breathing treatments, are all repercussions of these chronic illnesses. Last but not least, you are taking away the child’s ability to choose what is consumed into their bodies. When you smoke around children you are not only taking their right to make a choice away, but you are putting them in danger. It is our responsibility as parents to protect our children. The ability to learn the hazards involved in secondhand smoke, can ultimately change what we decide to do around children and other non-smokers.

References
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