Clinical inquiries. Does reducing smoking in the home protect children from the effects of second-hand smoke?

Yes, taking this step helps asthmatic children, and may even help nonasthmatic children. In families of asthmatic children, education to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke leads to fewer medical visits (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, a single randomized, controlled trial). The effects of educating families of nonasthmatic children about secondhand smoke are not known, but parents who smoke outside expose their children to much less nicotine than parents who smoke in the house (SOR: B, cohort studies and cross-sectional surveys). Nathan R. Thompson, MD Jon O. Neher, MD Valley Medical Center, Renton, Wash