Brain
Thirdhand smoke is a neurotoxin. Children who are exposed to second and third hand smoke at home have a 50% higher risk of neurological disorders. A recent study found a significant inverse relationship between cotinine blood levels and math, cognitive reasoning, reading, and language development in young children. It is estimated that over 20 million children are at risk for thirdhand smoke related reading deficiencies in the United States.
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Kabir, Z., Connolly, G. N., & Alpert, H. R. (2011). Secondhand smoke exposure and neurobehavioral disorders among children in the United States. Pediatrics, 128(2), 263–270. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-0023
Yolton, K., Dietrich, K., Auinger, P., Lanphear, B. P., & Hornung, R. (2005). Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and cognitive abilities among U.S. children and adolescents. Environmental Health Perspectives, 113(5). https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.113-a296a
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