Preventing the health consequences to children's health of smoking in the home. This should include promoting the education of parents, teachers, health professionals and all people who take care of children about the dangers of smoking and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) for fetal development, and postnatally for the development of respiratory diseases and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Exposure to ETS increases the risk of respiratory symptoms and lower respiratory tract illness in children, and it also increases the frequency and severity of asthma symptoms. There is evidence that parental smoking causes acute and chronic middle ear disease. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is associated with exposure to ETS. The majority of children's exposure to ETS takes place in the home.