Children in smoker families twice as likely to become addicts

Children raised by parents with smoking habits are more likely to get addicted to smoking, and are more likely to face health problems, says Emrah Can, a Turkish pediatric.

Research shows that children of smoker parents are 50 percent more likely to be addicted as they tend to imitate their parents, the pediatric says.

"A child who sees a smoking father takes him as a role model," Can told the Anadolu Agency.

Along with the addiction risk, cigarette smoke causes several health disorders to children, including snoring, he said.

Can labels snoring as the first step in the formation of sleep apnea, often associated with high blood pressure, stroke and heart diseases.

"These children have a risk of death from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD)," he said.

The pediatric also said that cigarette smoke increases blood pressure in children and may cause deterioration in the internal structure of their blood vessels.

"Many diseases such as frequent upper and lower respiratory tract infections, otitis media, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome and behavioral problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are reported to be related to smoking," he said, and added that smoking can cause growth retardation and low birthweight for newborns.