Child deaths have fallen in Brazil following complete smoking bans in public places, according to a new study.
Child deaths have fallen in Brazil following complete smoking bans in public places, according to a new study.
Its authors, from Imperial College London, the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA), and Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands, estimate that strengthening smoke-free legislation between 2000 and 2016 in Brazil averted over 15,000 deaths in children under one year old.
The new research is published today, World Health Organisation World No Tobacco Day, in the journal Tobacco Control.
Understanding the impact on children
Children are particularly harmed from exposure to smoke. In the womb, it affects foetal development and can increase the risk of pre-term birth or low birth-weight. Infants and children exposed to second-hand smoke have a higher risk of respiratory infections, asthma, and sudden infant death.
Read more at Imperial College London
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