Amber Dominguez

Michelle Robbins
RD 115
May 28, 2013
My Literacy Report

Topic: Involuntary Smoking in Children

Question: What are the health consequences of involuntary smoking in children?

Source 1: Book

Waxman, Henry. Smoking Chp 2: Smoking Should Be Banned in Nonresidential Buildings.

The Washington Times, February 13, 1994 Reprinted by permission of the author.

About the Author:

http://waxman.house.gov/bio

Henry Waxman was born on September 12, 1939 in Los Angeles. Today Henry is a leader
on health and environmental issues. Prior to him becoming so successful he attended school at
California State where he became chairman of the health committee. Waxman has been around
for a long time and has definitely earned his stripes. Hes worked hard to help and change our
society since 1995. He fought for universal health insurance, tobacco regulation, Aids research
and treatment. I cant even finish writing about all the laws hes helped improve for us. Im
impressed.

Secondhand smoke creates health risks for our environment. This leaves many people
concerned about our health. The book I read on smoking states that the one thing we can do to
reduce health hazards is ban smoking from all non-residential buildings. This would definitely
help protect the public from involuntary smoking. Many people die as a result of secondhand
smoke every day. Its really our children that suffer more than anyone from involuntary smoking.
This has been the cause of bronchitis and pneumonia in infants and young children. Millions of
children suffer from asthma attacks from being exposed to cigarette smoke. There are so many
benefits from being a non-smoker for us, for our children, and for the environment. For instance,
the lives of those who once smoked will become easier and our new generation children will
have a better chance of not beginning to smoke because of not having easy access to cigarettes.
So quit today!
Source 2: Journal Article

About The U.S Centers for Disease Control:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centers_for_Disease_Control_and_Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health institute of the
United States. The CDC is a federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services and is
headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporatedDeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta.[1][2][3]. Its main
goal is to protect public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease, injury, and
disability. The CDC focuses national attention on developing and applying disease control and prevention.

"The Health Consequences of Involuntary Smoking." Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 9: 1980-
1989. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 482-485. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 28 May
2013.American Decades Primary
Document URL
http://0-go.galegroup.com.library.pcc.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE
%7CCX3490201770&v=2.1&u=pcc&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w

In the 1950s is when the public came to realize smoking is bad for your health. In 1957
The American Cancer Society discovered that heavy smoking may effect on how long you live,
and is a major health risk for cancer. In 1986 The Surgeon Generals studying paid off. He
discovered involuntary smoking can cause lung cancer in healthy non-smokers. He also found
that children whose parents smoke have constant respiratory symptoms and infections. They also
have problems with lung functions as they mature. After a review was done by The National
Academy of Sciences, they estimated that 20 percent of 12,200 lung cancer deaths that happened
yearly in non-smokers were in results to secondhand smoke.

This is a photo from 1986 of a mother smoking a cigarette while her child plays.

Source 3: Web Page

About the Surgeon General:
A Surgeon General is usually a doctor who gives information to the public on how to improve
their health and the health of their country as well.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Children and Secondhand

Smoke Exposure.
Excerpts from The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke:
A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion,
National
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and
Health, 2007.
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library

Children are so much more exposed to secondhand smoke than adults. Almost half of the
United States children ages 3-11 are exposed to involuntary smoking. Because of people
choosing to smoke around their children, they are at high risk of lower respiratory infections,
middle ear disease, severe asthma, and slowed lung growth. 430 infants die every year from
sudden infant death syndrome as a result in secondhand smoke. Involuntary smoking in children
has also been responsible for 202, 300 asthma episodes and 790,000 doctor appointments for ear
infections in the U.S, all because exposure to secondhand smoke.

Source 4: Web Page

About the Author:

http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Josefa_Canals/
Josefa Canals is from the Universitat Rovira I Virgili which is located in Spain. She
work/studies in the Department of Psychology. She has published up to 74 articles based on
several topics such as adolescence, mental health, anxiety disorders, human reproduction and of
course early development. She knows her stuff.

Pregnant Moms exposure to secondhand smoke Harms Baby. (n.d.):pag. Pregnant

Moms exposure to secondhand smoke Harms Baby. Web 25 May 2013
http://0-www.lexisnexis.com.library.pcc.edu/lnacui2api/frame.do?reloadEntirePage=true&...

Involuntary smoking for pregnant mothers is harmful to the fetus as well as a newborn
baby. Studies show that when a mother exposes her child to nicotine or secondhand smoke, the
child than shows signs of poor physiological, sensory, motor and attention responses. Women
smoking while pregnant has caused many different problems in infants afterbirth such as,
learning difficulties, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity and even obesity.

"Health professionals should encourage future mothers and their families to eliminate
or reduce tobacco consumption," said Canals, who outlines the importance of informing
 mothers on the effects of involuntary exposure to cigarette smoke in order to prevent direct
damage to the fetus and infant development.

Smoking during pregnancy is one of the biggest yet changeable causes of illness and death
for both mother and infant. Nonetheless, epidemiological studies show that between 11
percent and 30 percent of pregnant women smoke or are passively exposed to tobacco
smoke.

Source 5: Newspaper
Clark, Charles S. "Crackdown on Smoking." CQ Researcher 4 Dec. 1992: 1049-72. Web. 29 May
2013.
About the Author:
http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/static.php?page=authors
Charles S. Clark is senior editor at the Association of Governing Boards of
Universities and Colleges. He is a veteran Washington journalist and
previously served as a staff writer at the CQ Researcher, managing editor of
The National Journal and writer and researcher at Time-Life Books. He
graduated in political science from McGill University

So many Americans are aware of the hazardous health issues that come a long with
being a smoker, but they still continue to smoke. Due to the anti-smoking movement of
health experts, public interests groups and many people against smoking, you are no longer
allowed to light up on several public places such as, hospitals, schools, bars and most likely
a place of employment. The studies have found that involuntary smoking is fatal and
especially in children.

Source 6: Magazine

About Magazine:
Natural Life Magazine is a bimonthly, subscriber-supported, digital publication that provides readers with
thoughtful commentary and individual solutions about creative self-reliance, green living, natural homes,
healthy food and organic gardening, natural parenting and alternative education, green business, health
and wellness, life-affirming leisure activities, and many other aspects of healthy, sustainable family living.

"Kids Suffer From Smoke." Natural Life 68 (1999): 14. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 29 May
2013.
Physicians from Canada found out that one and three of the children there are always
exposed to cigarette smoke on a daily basis at home. It is apparent that most of the childrens
families do not make an effort to exclude their children from the toxic fumes of a cigarette. My
practice is full of children whose health suffers because their parents dont understand how
important it is to protect children from cigarette smoke in the home, says Dr. Tom Kovesi, a
respirologists at the Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Asthma, ear infections, pneumonia
are all more common for children living in smoky homes. Another Doctor by the name of Atul
Kapur also says that if families allowed their homes to be smoke-free there would be fewer cases
of sudden infant death or sick children each year.
My Bias:
I strongly believe in involuntary smoking in children or in any other individual on this
planet. When I see a mother smoke around her own child with absolutely no remorse at all for
her childs health it honestly makes me sick! I once was a smoker and I once didnt care about
anyones health let alone a child. If I can change my life, than anyone can. I am not a hypercritic
I just have successfully learned from my mistakes. My mother did not believe in secondhand
smoke nor was she concerned for anyone around her. She died of emphysema and lung cancer in
2006. My experience with her death has a lot to do with why I changed my beliefs and why I
chose to research secondhand smoke in children. I really appreciate this project it has helped
with so much in my reading class. Hopefully another student just like me will get to do the same
for Ms. Robbins one day. Wait I take that back, I know another student will get to do the same
for Ms. Robbins one day. As for the articles, magazines and online databases I experienced with
for the first time, they were very helpful. I am glad I was assigned this literacy project because I
wouldnt be at where I am today with my reading skills and much more. Thank you Ms.
Robbins.