Almost 500,000 people die in the United States annually of smoking related diseases. So lets start out by agreeing that smoking is a health hazard that increases your risk for disease. I’m glad we got that out of the way. There is now clear evidence that secondhand smoke is also a risk factor for many of the same illnesses seen in smokers, such as cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. Infants are even at risk for adverse effects of smoking during pregnancy and a myriad of diseases and disorders related to secondhand smoke. Yet, despite this overwhelming evidence and public education, the smoking prevalence rates have hit a plateau over the last decade. More surprising is the plateau seen among the younger smokers. It seems as if there is a new smoker right there to replace the older smoker who is dying from a tobacco related illness. It’s a terrible cycle that just will not stop.
In this backdrop, we now have growing evidence linking tobacco smoke exposure to learning disabilities in children. A study reported in JOGNN 39, 2010 by Anderko and others, looked at 5,420 children to find if there was a correlation between parent-reported learning disabilities and exposure to prenatal tobacco smoke and environmental tobacco smoke. What makes this study unique, is the fact they made sure the learning disabilities were not caused by exposure to lead, a known neurotoxin.
The study reports that exposure to tobacco smoke significantly increased the odds of children developing learning disabilities. The researchers find, yet another benefit to smoke-free living, the healthy development of a child’s mind. The results from this study indicate that by removing the tobacco exposure, we could prevent roughly 750,000 cases of parent-reported learning disabilities in the United States. Imagine the socio-economic impact this would have on our communities: the financial costs associated with medications, counseling and private education (tutors, specialty schools, etc.) alone would be substantial. Add to this the improvement in the child’s self-esteem and learning capacity. The results make you wonder how many children had their lives turned upside down, because they had an undiagnosed learning disability related to smoking exposure. Whether it be secondhand smoke or effects of smoking during pregnancy, we should all be compelled to rethink lighting up tobacco around kids or pregnant women.
When you figure in the physical health benefits seen in children, such as reduced rates of birth defects and low birth weight, you’ve got a real cause on your hands. It could be called, MASILD - Mothers Against Smoking Induced Learning Disabilities. Has a nice ring to it.
But smoking and smoking cessation is a very personal issue and viewed by some smokers, in terms of a right guaranteed by the constitution. Although most smokers desire to quit at some point and may even go as far as seeking out stop smoking help, all too often they feel persecuted by the non-smoking community and government regulators.
Healthcare professionals need to lead the way by conducting further research, thereby equipping the smoker with valid and irrefutable evidence detailing the benefits of living a smoke-free life, and thus, reducing the secondhand smoke exposure in children . Patient, yet persistent education, is one opportunity to prevent people from ever starting the habit in the first place. Then maybe, the vicious cycle of smoking can be broken and our children will reap the many benefits. We can all do something to reduce the effects of smoking during pregnancy by simply educating people about the dangers to themselves and their children.
