According to a recent study conducted by Aga Khan University experts, children in Bangladesh and Pakistan are exposed to shockingly high levels of secondhand smoke (SHS). According to the study, which was published in the Nicotine and Tobacco Research Journal, 99.4% of Karachi, Pakistan, youngsters had some exposure to SHS. This draws attention to the alarming problem of unfettered smoking, especially in places with lax smoking laws.
The study team polled more than 2700 kids from Karachi and Dhaka, ages 9 to 14. Tests on saliva were performed to determine the amounts of cotinine, a sign of exposure to SHS. The results demonstrated a significant relationship between children’s cotinine levels and adult smoking habits.
Experts caution against the serious health risks—such as respiratory ailments, a higher chance of SIDS, and poorer academic performance—that come with exposing kids to SHS.
The study highlights how urgently a multifaceted strategy to safeguard children is needed. This entails encouraging smoke-free residences and vehicles, enforcing stronger smoking bans in public areas that kids visit, and offering smokers assistance in quitting.
