Secondhand Smoke

As adults become more aware of the harm secondhand smoke causes to children, the number of children exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes is dropping.

In Massachusetts, only 14% of households with children allow smoking in the home. Still, this means that more than 200,000 children in Massachusetts are not protected from smoke in their own homes.

Exposure to secondhand smoke in the home greatly increases the risk for many health problems, including asthma, ear infections, and respiratory illnesses.

The Surgeon General released a report in September 2007 with information about the health effects of secondhand smoke on children.

• Read a summary of that report in English.
• Read the summary in Spanish.

Children of racial and ethnic minorities may be exposed to more pollution than their peers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.  The agency's definition of pollution includes secondhand smoke.

• View the EPA's fact sheet on Hispanic and Latino American children and secondhand smoke.
• View the EPA's fact sheet on Black and African-American children and secondhand smoke.

Get more information about children and secondhand smoke. Some information is available in Spanish.

see our media campaign about secondhand smoke and children.