Smoking households are more likely to have trouble
paying for food for their families.
Children living in
smoking households are twice as likely as other children
to experience food insecurity (being hungry or regularly
missing meals) and three times as likely to experience
severe food insecurity.
Children who experience
food insecurity are at a higher risk for mental or social
disabilities and a poorer quality of life. Children and
young people from smoking households have higher
rates of asthma and respiratory problems, causing them
to be absent from school more than other children.
They are also more likely to have learning and behaviour
difficulties such as attention deficit disorder. All these
factors impact on school achievement and may affect
later employment opportunities.