Health consequences of tobacco exposure at all ages of childhood

A study summarizes the various damages of exposure to tobacco on children's health, some of which have been demonstrated for many years [1]. Health consequences that are observed both before and after birth, and then affect adolescents.

The seriousness of exposure to passive smoking during pregnancy

Tobacco consumption among pregnant women and adolescents in France is one of the highest in Europe. A 2016 national survey estimates that around 30% pregnant women smoke before their pregnancy and that half of them still smoke at 3^th trimester of pregnancy [2]. A majority of these smokers during pregnancy also smoke after giving birth and thus contribute, with or without the other parent, to exposing children to environmental smoking (or passive smoking).

The main consequences of this exposure to tobacco before birth on the fetus are well documented: certain malformations (congenital heart disease, bone, facial and digestive tract abnormalities); fetal death in utero (+50%) ; low birth weight (x 2); increased risk of prematurity (approximately +10%); early miscarriages.

Risks also present after birth

Some consequences of this prenatal exposure are also observable after birth: increased risks of sudden infant death syndrome (x 2 to 4), asthma, respiratory diseases and infections, overweight and obesity (x 1.5 to 2). The intensity and duration of consumption, as well as stopping smoking during pregnancy, influence these health damages.

Throughout childhood, exposure to tobacco smoke in the home increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (x2 to 3), asthma, respiratory diseases and infections (bronchiolitis), as well as ear, nose and throat (ENT) diseases.

The pathologies encountered in adolescents who have started smoking are the same as those of adults and occur later: they are cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic (type II diabetes), neurological (dementia) and also include cancers, periodontitis (gums), fertility disorders and bone and skin fragility. In 2017, 25% of high school students were smokers, 59% of them had already smoked at least one cigarette and 52% had already experimented with electronic cigarettes [3].

Achieving a tobacco-free generation

The National Tobacco Control Program (PNLT) 2018-2022 plans to achieve the first tobacco-free generation by 2032, i.e. a rate of adult smokers below 5% among people born from 2014 [4].

To achieve this objective, all measures to protect against smoking need to be deployed sustainably and in a coordinated manner in order to strengthen their effects. These must also be adapted, if necessary, to certain priority groups. For example, as an illustration: women and their partners would benefit from being more aware, well before pregnancy, of the consequences of exposure to passive smoking in utero and in the environment.

Keywords: children – pregnancy – pathologies – exposure – environmental smoking ©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1] Torchin H, Diguisto C. Somatic consequences of tobacco exposure in children and adolescents. The Practitioner's Review, vol. 71, March 2021. [2] Demiguel V, Bonnet C, Andler R, et al. Evolution of tobacco consumption during pregnancy in France in 2016. Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2018;(35-36):694-703. http://invs.santepubliquefrance.fr/ or http://bit.ly/3qxLz7A [3] Spilka S, Le Nézet O, Janssen E, Brissot A, Shah J, Chyderiotis S. Drugs at 17: analysis of the ESCAPAD 2017 survey. Trends, OFDT, February 2018. [4] Ministry of Solidarity and Health, Ministry of Action and Public Accounts. National Tobacco Control Program 2018-2022. https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/ or http://bit.ly/2MLHNbl National Committee Against Smoking |