Welcome to our Kaiser Permanente Tobacco information page. Coming here means that you are taking a very important step toward learning about tobacco and its effects on your family. Congratulations!

Did you know?

• If someone smokes inside your home, the smoke stays and pollutes the indoor air that you breathe. In a home with closed windows, it takes more than 10 hours for the smoke to be removed from the air! Even once it’s gone from the air, it remains caught in curtains, rugs and walls.
• Between 150,000 and 300,000 children 18 months and younger get bronchitis or pneumonia from breathing second hand smoke.
• Second hand smoke can cause reduced lung function and symptoms like coughing, extra phlegm and wheezing.
• Children who are around smoke can get asthma , even if they did not have it before.
• Babies born to women who smoke can be underdeveloped and have a low birth weight
• Infants under 1 are at higher risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) otherwise known as crib death.

Second Hand Smoke
There are two types of second hand smoke:
Sidestream smoke drifts off the end of a burning cigarette and passive smoke is what someone who is smoking exhales. Both contain harmful cancer causing chemicals and carbon monoxide.

Protect your child from second hand smoke.

• Do not allow friends or care givers to smoke around your children
• Do not smoke in your car.
• Do not smoke in the house
• If you smoke outside, take your jacket off when you return indoors
• Are you Ready to quit tobacco use?
• If you smoke, quitting now is the best way to reduce risks for yourself and your family.

If you are a parent of a teen who smokes, talk to your child. If you need some pointers, go to Healthy Youth!

Other resources
Here are a few additional resources than can help you quit smoking.
Quit Smoking Featured Health Topic
QuitNET
Kid's Health
TheTruth.com