Smokers' kids' sick days
Parents who smoke seem to raise their risk of raising sicker kids. At Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Douglas Levy says it shows up in national survey data on the kids' days away from school:
"Where there was only one resident smoking in the home, children missed one additional day of school ever year. Kids living in homes where at least two residents smoked indoors missed an additional day and a half, compared to children living in homes where no additional smoking took place." (13 seconds)
Secondhand smoke raises the risk of a number of diseases, including ear infections, chest colds, and bronchitis.
Levy advises the adults to quit smoking - and at least keep it away from the kids.
The study in the journal Pediatrics was supported by the National Institutes of Health.