Study links home vaping, smoking to kids’ asthma

Research links children’s exposure to tobacco smoke at home with poorer health, including higher rates of stunting in a large study across 29 sub-Saharan African countries. Separate research involving more than 48,000 pediatric visits found that household e-cigarette exposure was independently associated with asthma flare-ups and activity-related symptoms, while exposure to both vaping and combustible tobacco had the strongest links to poor asthma control, including more symptoms, rescue inhaler use and hospital admissions. The findings challenge the idea that vaping is harmless to children as a source of secondhand exposure; researchers recommend screening for all household nicotine and tobacco use and offering caregivers evidence-based help to quit.