3.21.2 Respiratory infections and exacerbation of asthma
Active smoking is associated with an increased risk for developing asthma and for exacerbating existing asthma in adolescents.5 Smoking also causes wheezing severe enough to be diagnosed as asthma in children and adolescents.2 Surveys among adolescent smokers (12–14 year olds) have found active smoking to be associated with asthma/wheezing and rhinitis,6,7 particularly in girls,7 and with asthma-related wheezing symptoms in 15–16 year old adolescents.8
Active smoking causes respiratory symptoms including shortness of breath, coughing, phlegm production and wheezing in children and adolescents.19 Even occasional smoking (on at least 5 days in the prior 30 days) has been found to be associated with shortness of breath/fatigue following regular activity in 18–24 year old college students,9 while regular smokers among this group were more likely than non-smokers to report having any cough or sore throat in the past 30 days.9 The prevalence of self-reported bronchitis symptoms (chronic cough and sputum production) among a cohort of 18–21 year old Finnish males was significantly higher among daily smokers than occasional smokers, and symptoms were significantly associated with smoking history.10