• 
  Like
• 
  Follow

Search news    

---

Study: Apartment living could expose children to secondhand smoke

May 4, 2010 - Families who are planning a move to a new apartment building may want to take existing smoking policies into account, as new research reveals that secondhand cigarette smoke may penetrate these structures.

A new study from the University of Rochester found that the majority of children who live in apartment buildings are exposed to secondhand smoke, even if their family members do not light up. Approximately 84 percent of children living in apartment buildings showed high levels of the biomarker cotinine in their blood, which is indicative of tobacco exposure.

Furthermore, a total of 70 percent of children living in detached houses showed evidence of exposure, which led the scientists to call for solutions to expansive secondhand smoke.

"We see that children are being exposed in ways we are not picking up, and it's important, for their health, that we figure out where this exposure is taking place, and work to eliminate it," said Karen Wilson, author of the study.

"Multi-unit housing is one potential source, but a very important one," she added.

Recent Articles

Related Categories