Secondhand (also called passive) smoke is very harmful to children with respiratory conditions such as cystic fibrosis.
This video shows Zak (4), after someone smoked near him.
There are many reasons why its a VERY bad idea to expose children who have cystic fibrosis to secondhand smoke - here are 8 of them.
8 Reasons Never to Expose CF Kids to Passive Smoke
1. All children are especially vulnerable to the harmful impact of passive smoke (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Children's airways are smaller than adults so the harmful effects of passive smoke affect them faster (Health Promotion Department, Naval Hospital). It is only logical that children who already have lung problems will be even more vulnerable.
2. "Inhaling passive smoke from another person may be even more harmful than actually smoking. That's because the smoke that burns off the end of a cigar or cigarette contains more harmful substances (e.g. tar, carbon monoxide, nicotine, ammonia, cadmium etc...) than the smoke inhaled by the smoker." (Health Promotion Department, Naval Hospital). This is because the smoke coming from the end of the cigar or cigarette is not filtered.
3. Passive smoke "damages the tiny hair-like structures in the airways (called cilia). Cilia sweep dust and mucus out of the airways. Tobacco smoke damages cilia so they are unable to work, allowing dust and mucus to accumulate in the airways. Smoke also causes the lungs to make more mucus than normal. As a result, even more mucus can build up in the airways." (Health Promotion Department, Naval Hospital). Children with cystic fibrosis already have problems with excess mucus in the airways so exposure to passive smoke will only make this issue worse. For children with cystic fibrosis the inability of the cilia to clear the lungs would impact the efficiency of the daily chest physiotherapy and airway clearance they must do to avoid infection and the associated lung damage.
4. Smoke exposure prior to adulthood can impact lung growth and the level of maximum lung function. (CDC,
Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People ). This is of real risk to children who are already at risk of poor lung function.
5. "Children of parents who smoke are also more likely to develop lung and sinus infections." (Health Promotion Department, Naval Hospital) Sinus and lung infections due to passive smoke exposure can make cystic fibrosis symptoms worse and make them more difficult to treat.
6. One of the chemicals in passive smoke, cadmium inhibits a protein called CFTR in the lungs. This protein is essential for the healthy working of the lungs. (Cormet-Boyaka et al, 2008, Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology). The impact of tobacco smoke on CFTR has been linked to the development of emphysema (The Journal of Immunology). The lack of this protein is the underlying issue in people with cystic fibrosis. So it takes very little imagination to work out what tobacco smoke would do to a child who has cystic fibrosis.
7. Tobacco smoke contains chemicals that are known to irritate the lungs (e.g. ammonia and formaldehyde). This is a significant issue for children who are already prone to lung irritation cystic fibrosis (and often asthma as some children with cystic fibrosis will also have asthma). This type of inflammation can damage the lungs due to the toxins that are released by immune cells called neutrophils whilst the inflammation is present. Children with cystic fibrosis especially are already at HIGH risk of lung damage (Multiple Medical Sources).
8. Exposure to tobacco smoke can hinder recovery from lung infections. It has been shown that tobacco smoke impacts the inflammatory and immune responses in the body making it more difficult to recover (Drannik et al, 2004, Am J Respir Crit Care Med).
So basically...
"If there's a little set of lungs in your house, take your cigarettes outside, or better yet, get rid of them. Quitting smoking is hard. For kids, breathing shouldn't have to be." (Health Promotion Department, Naval Hospital)
Cystic Fibrosis Resouces
