Active smoking among asthmatic youth?How concerned we need to be

Abstract

There is no doubt that tobacco smoking, whether active or passive, has a harmful effect on health of all individuals. Children are particularly vulnerable to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and if exposed have higher incidence of lower respiratory tract illnesses in their early years (Cook and Strachan 1999). Furthermore, it has been suggested that the high levels of ETS exposure during childhood may increase the risk of chronic obstructive respiratory disease in adulthood.