For some smokers, finding an alternative to traditional cigarettes is personal; very personal. Smoking is not limited to only young people or old. Cigarettes encompass the lives of middle-class Americans raising families of their own. With every craving and cigarette lit, a smoker can look around and see their future running around them, laughing and [...]

New study finds that African-American, low-income children at highest risk.

A study published by UCLA Center for Health Policy Research states, "Despite having the second-lowest smoking rate in the nation, California is still home to nearly 2.5 million children under the age of 12 who are exposed to secondhand smoke." The study estimates that over 500,000 children are directly exposed to secondhand smoke in the home with another 1.9 million are at-risk due to living in a home where another family member is a smoker, though smoking may not be allowed inside the home.

Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at greater risk of developing asthma, respiratory infections, or death (via SIDS in infants). It is also important to note that children raised by smokers have a greater probability of becoming smokers themselves.

Some of the findings from the study include: Continue Reading