Children who live with smokers are more likely to suffer from a lung disease

Experts have said that parents who smoke should quit to protect their kids.

Non-smoking adults have a higher risk of dying from a lung disease if they were exposed to secondhand smoke when they were children. Research found that they are also at risk of other health problems. 70,900 men and women who do not smoke took part in a study carried out by the American Cancer Society. The adults who lived with a smoker when they were young were "likely to add seven deaths to every 100,000 non-smoking adults dying annually", according to the US charity. The participants who were exposed to smoke for more than 10 hours a week are 42 percent more likely to die from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than those who weren't. They are also 27 percent more likely to suffer from ischemic heart disease and 23 percent more likely to have a stroke. In the study, participants were asked about how much smoke they were exposed to throughout their life. Their health was then monitored over a period of 22 years. Speaking about the findings, medical advisor at the British Lung Foundation Dr Nick Hopkinson told the BBC News:

"Passive smoking has a lasting impact well beyond childhood." "Unfortunately, stop smoking services in the UK are being cut. We need to make sure that everyone, especially parents of young children and pregnant women who smoke, get the help they need to quit."

While this study focused on mortality risks, researchers emphasised that children who are passive smokers are also more likely to depend on healthcare in their adult life.