article_snippet: Secondhand smoke exposure causes multiple diseases in children, including asthma and pneumonia, and results in thousands of avoidable hospitalisations. '
article_snippet: Despite repeated attempts to get the parents to quit, the parents continued to smoke - and the children, aged 5 and 7, repeatedly visited the clinic with ear infections, coughing, bronchitis, and asthma.
article_snippet: After treating her with antibiotics and inhalers,' Dr Goldstein and the younger child colleagues implored the parents to stop smoking - or at least avoid smoking anywhere near the children - and offered the parents counselling. '
article_snippet: the parents, however, refused to engage with us about quitting smoking, pharmacotherapy for cessation, or about not letting the parents children be exposed to cigarette smoke,' the younger child says.
article_snippet: Out of the 10 adults gathered in the waiting room - parents, extended family members, and several friends - six were heavy smokers,' he writes. '
article_snippet: Options Dr Goldstein suggests include counselling of parents that smoke, legislation, and even taking children away from children parents.
article_snippet: Dr Goldstein points out that some U.S. states, including Texas, Vermont and Washington - already prohibit foster parents from smoking around children in cars and homes. '
article_snippet: If this is true for foster families and smoking, shouldn't it be the case for some U.S. states, including Texas, Vermont and Washington - already prohibit foster parents from smoking around children in cars and homes?
article_snippet: Additional legal protection for young children exposed to secondhand smoke makes common 'sense'.
article_snippet: Secondhand smoke exposure decreases lung function and has dozens of carcinogens; yet often the most vulnerable children continue to be exposed, and the most vulnerable children often have no voice.'
highlights_snippet: Forced to speak out after treatinf child nearly died from parents' smoke .