Smokers listen up: your habit is damaging children’s hearing

If you’re a smoker, you may not like the sound of this. But all that second-hand smoke you’re puffing out could be damaging children’s hearing.

Although it’s a little known fact, passive smoking can cause a condition that often occurs in young kids called glue ear. Dulled hearing and pain result. So next time you smoke, bear in mind that it’s worth listening to anti-smoking messages – otherwise the kids around you might not be able.

Aside from ear problems, second-hand smoke causes eye, nose and chest infections in children. For very young children there is a risk of cot death (one in five sudden infant deaths is caused by second-hand smoke). Overall there are about 17,000 kids admitted to hospital every year due to passive smoking, and even for those who get through, they are more likely than other children to grow up and become smokers themselves.

All of this presents a pretty compelling argument for extending the smoking ban. Plans are underway to possibly ban smoking in parks, playgrounds and other areas frequented by kids. There is also pressure being put on the government to tackle the problem of ‘third-hand smoke’ – nicotine stains that linger on furniture and curtains. These stains present a serious danger to children, beacuse they are likely to put their hands on them, or even lick them, consuming harmful chemicals as they do so.

Giving up smoking isn’t just a positive step for your own health, but also that of the people around you. Whether they’re children or adults, the unfortunately truth is that your choice to smoke can affect their well-being too.