Parental warning: second-hand smoke may trigger nicotine dependence symptoms in kids

	Tweet

Parents who smoke cigarettes around their kids in cars and homes beware – second-hand smoke may trigger symptoms of nicotine dependence in children. The findings are published in the September edition of the journal Addictive Behaviors in a joint study from nine Canadian institutions.

“Increased exposure to second-hand smoke, both in cars and homes, was associated with an increased likelihood of children reporting nicotine dependence symptoms, even though these children had never smoked,” says Dr. Jennifer O’Loughlin, senior author of the study, a professor at the Université de Montréal’s Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and a researcher at the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal.

“These findings support the need for public health interventions that promote non-smoking in the presence of children, and uphold policies to restrict smoking in vehicles when children are present,” adds Dr. O’Loughlin, who collaborated with researchers from the Université de Sherbrooke, the Université de Moncton, the University of British Columbia, McGill University, Concordia University and the Institut national de santé publique du Québec.

Study participants were recruited from 29 Quebec schools as part of AdoQuest, a cohort investigation that measures tobacco use and other health-compromising behaviours. Some 1,800 children aged 10 to 12 years old, from all socioeconomic levels, were asked to complete questionnaires on their health and behaviours. Researchers also asked questions about symptoms of nicotine dependence and exposure to second-hand smoke.

“According to conventional understanding, a person who does not smoke cannot experience nicotine dependence,” says Mathieu Bélanger, the study’s lead author and the new research director of the Centre de Formation Médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick of the Université de Moncton and Université de Sherbrooke. “Our study found that 5 percent of children who had never smoked a cigarette, but who were exposed to secondhand smoke in cars or their homes, reported symptoms of nicotine dependence.”

Dr. O’Loughlin added that this inter-university investigation builds on previous findings: “Exposure to second-hand smoke among non-smokers may cause symptoms that seem to reflect several nicotine withdrawal symptoms: depressed mood, trouble sleeping, irritability, anxiety, restlessness, trouble concentrating and increased appetite.”

###

About the study:

“Nicotine dependence symptoms among young never smokers exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke,” from Addictive Behaviors, was authored by Mathieu Bélanger (Université de Sherbrooke and Université de Moncton), Jennifer O’Loughlin (Université de Montréal and Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal), Louise Guyon (Institut national de santé publique du Québec), André Gervais (Direction de santé publique de Montréal), Jennifer J. McGrath (Concordia University), Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli (University of British Columbia) and Maninder Setia (McGill University).

Contact: Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins

514-343-7593
University of Montreal

RELATED STORIES:
Game Designers Target Child Obesity   Many parents apply insect repellant incorrectly   One Dose of H1N1 Vaccine May Provide Sufficient Protection for Infants and Children   90 percent of Africans are not protected by smoke-free laws   Polysomnography for sleep-disordered breathing prior to tonsillectomy in children   Easier access to patches could help smokers   Agents arrest medical marijuana grower on federal charges   Great outdoors may ease ADHD symptoms   Newborn preemies more vocal when parents are near   Childhood Obesity May Contribute to Later Onset of Puberty for Boys   African children face life without healthcare   Tobacco CEO testimony self-serving

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]