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(Reuters Health) – While most adults know that nicotine is bad for children, smokers and some others are not convinced of this fact, according to a US study suggesting a need for public education on the risks of tobacco.
Overall, 83% of adults understand that nicotine is "definitely harmful" to children, analysis of national survey data from nearly 12,000 American adults found [19659003]
"It is important for all adults, not just parents of young children or users of tobacco products, to understand that nicotine is very harmful to children," said one study. The author Catherine Kemp, a public health researcher at Georgia State University in Atlanta
"There is no established level of nicotine exposure for children," Kemp said. by email.
Exposure to nicotine can cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, changes in heart rate and blood pressure, respiratory problems, and seizures in children and can be fatal in high doses, noted Kemp. Chronic exposure can lead to heart problems, asthma, developmental and behavioral disorders, increased risk of addiction to other drugs.
In this study, women were 60% more likely than men to recognize that nicotine was "definitely harmful" to children. Men, meanwhile, were 40% more likely than women to think that nicotine was not harmful or that they were not sure of the risks.
Compared to adults with a university degree, people with only a high school diploma Twice as likely to say that nicotine was not harmful to children, the researchers report in pediatrics. And when people did not finish high school, they were three times more likely to think that nicotine was not dangerous compared to university graduates.
Race was also associated with how adults thought the risks of exposure to nicotine. Compared to white adults, respondents in Hispanic and African-American surveys were much less likely to believe that nicotine was definitely harmful.
Most often, children are exposed to nicotine from a parent or other person living at home. . In the study, about one-third of tobacco users had at least one young child at home.
One of the limitations of the study is that the investigation focused solely on the general question of whether nicotine could be harmful to children under 13, note the authors. Another disadvantage is that the study lacks data on what is behind people's beliefs about nicotine, so it's unclear how many might say that it's not dangerous for children . Dr. Geetha Raghuveer, a cardiologist at Children's Hospital & Mercy and a professor at the Kansas City School of Medicine at the University of Missouri, said, "Men, for example, could be victims of denial or a real lack of understanding of the risks. They are less aware of the risks than women because they are less likely to take their children to medical exams and hear about the dangers of a pediatrician, said Raghuveer, who said: Did not participate in the study.
Less educated Adults, on the other hand, could be really less aware of the risks, "Raghuveer added.
" While the dangers of smoking for those who smoke are well known, those of second-hand smoke or accidental ingestion of "Many parents also ignore the particular risks that liquid nicotine represents used in electronic cigarettes," said Dr. Annie Lintzenich Andrews of the South Carolina Medical University in Charleston .
"Nicotine poisonings from children ingesting liquid for e-cigarettes are becoming more common," says Andrews, who did not participate in the study
"Proximity to Combined nicotine products with adults underestimating the risk of exposure could lead to a higher risk of adverse events due to children's exposure to nicotine-based products, "added Andrews. "Nicotine users would be an ideal target population for future public health interventions aimed at reducing children's exposure to nicotine."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2Nmt3e6 Pediatrics, Online July 16, 2018.
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