A new report says too many Wisconsin children are being exposed to second hand smoke on a daily basis.
Smoking is banned in more homes than ever, but a report from the UW Center for Tobacco Research and Prevention and the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center estimates that nearly 25-percent of Wisconsin families still allow it. As a result, nearly 211,000 children are being exposed to second hand smoke at home.
The Center's Lezli Redmond says that constant exposure compromises the health of children, increasing their risk of ear infections, upper respiratory infections, and the chances of developing asthma. Redmond says parents who smoke already children also increase the chances that they will pick up the habit.
The organization is urging parents who smoke at home to take it outside, which may also help them quit. The Center runs the Tobacco quit line, which offers free help for smokers looking to quit.
