Homes and Cars Press Releases

Back to School! Make Your Home a Place For Healthy Learning.

CONTACT:
Paul McIntyre or
Anne Naughton
(916) 780-0226
Immediate Release: September 6, 2002

Parents want to give their children the best possible environment to grow, learn and develop to their full potential. But it is now known that even a small amount of secondhand smoke in the home can affect a child's ability to do well in school.

Researchers at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital have shown that secondhand smoke exposure affects a child's reading, math and reasoning skills. The greater the amount of exposure, the lower the scores in the subjects, with reading the most strongly effected.

People spend more time in their home than anywhere else. So the thought of ammonia, formaldehyde, and arsenic - just a few of the cancer-causing chemicals found in cigarette smoke - wafting through our home is a bit unsettling. Yet, according to researchers at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital, 13 million children in the U.S. are exposed to secondhand smoke in their home.

The influence of the child's environment in the early years is long-lasting, and critical in the formation of intelligence, personality and social behavior. Anne Naughton, Project Director with Kids Involuntarily Inhaling Secondhand Smoke says, "If you or someone in your family smokes, go outside, and make sure your child's after school programs and daycare are all smoke-free as well."

Children's learning potential can also be fueled by feeding them a healthy breakfast, ensuring they received 9 - 10 hours of sleep each night, engaging them in cultural activities, and devoting one hour every day to physical activity.

Giving children a safe home for healthy learning will set them up to do their very best in school and life!

For more information on making your home smoke-free contact Kids Involuntarily Inhaling Secondhand Smoke, (KIISS) at www.kiiss.org.