Second-hand marijuana smoke exposure associated with respiratory
infections in children

Date:
July 29, 2021
Source:
Springer
Summary:
Children whose parents regularly smoke or vape marijuana may
experience viral respiratory infections, such as the common cold,
more frequently than those whose parents do not smoke, according
to a new study.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Children whose parents regularly smoke or vape marijuana may experience
viral respiratory infections, such as the common cold, more frequently
than those whose parents do not smoke, according to a study published
in the journal Pediatric Research.


========================================================================== Researchers from Wake Forest School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado, USA surveyed 1,491 parents and caregivers who lived in Colorado,
a US state where recreational and medicinal use of marijuana is legal. The researchers found that parents who regularly smoked or vaped marijuana
reported that their children experienced more viral respiratory infections
in the year prior to the survey, compared to children whose parents did
not smoke tobacco or marijuana. Parents who smoked or vaped marijuana
reported that their children had not experienced other conditions often
related to second-hand tobacco smoke exposure, such as ear infections
and asthma attacks, more frequently nor that they had visited a hospital emergency department more often in the previous year, compared to children whose parents did not smoke.

Adam Johnson, the corresponding author said: "The negative impact that
exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke can have on children's health
has been extensively studied but the impact of second-hand marijuana
smoke on young children is unclear. Our findings identify the potential
for increased respiratory infections in children exposed to second-hand marijuana smoke. This could have significant healthcare implications as
more states in the USA move towards legalising recreational marijuana
use." Of the parents and caregivers who participated in the survey, 78
(5.2%) reported regularly smoking or vaping only marijuana, 214 (14.3%) reported regularly smoking only tobacco and 80 (5.4%) reported regularly smoking both marijuana and tobacco. The researchers found that those who
only smoked marijuana tended to be younger, educated to a higher level,
less likely to identify as Hispanic, and have a higher income than those
who did not smoke or who only smoked tobacco. Parents and caregivers
who smoked both marijuana and tobacco tended to be younger and were
less likely to identify as Hispanic than non-smokers. They also had
lower income and education levels than non-smokers, compared to those
who only smoked marijuana and those who only smoked tobacco.

Adam Johnson said: "Our findings highlight the prevalence of marijuana
use among parents and caregivers and indicate which children may be more
likely to be exposed to second-hand marijuana smoke in a US state where recreational and medicinal marijuana use is legal. These findings could be
used to help target and shape public health messaging aimed at parents and caregivers in order to raise awareness of the potential negative impacts
that second-hand marijuana smoke exposure can have on children's health."
To examine the impact of second-hand marijuana smoke exposure on children,
the authors surveyed parents and caregivers who all attended the pediatric emergency department at Children's Hospital Colorado with a child younger
than 12 years old, between 2015 and 2017. Parents and caregivers reported
the frequency and location of their marijuana or tobacco use and how often
in the past year their child had been taken to an emergency department or
had been affected by asthma attacks, ear infections or viral respiratory infections, such as a common cold or bronchiolitis.

The authors caution that the observational nature of the study does not
allow for conclusions about a causal relationship between second-hand
marijuana smoke exposure and the frequency of viral respiratory
infections. Additionally, as the authors surveyed a small number of
parents and caregivers in one US state where marijuana use is legal,
their findings may not be generalizable to all children living in areas
where marijuana use is legal or those living in areas where marijuana
use is illegal. Future research could assess the impact that parent and caregiver use of other types of marijuana products, such as those taken
orally or applied to the skin, may have on children.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Springer. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Adam B. Johnson, George S. Wang, Karen Wilson, David M. Cline,
Timothy E.

Craven, Sarah Slaven, Vidya Raghavan, Rakesh D. Mistry. Association
between secondhand marijuana smoke and respiratory infections in
children. Pediatric Research, 2021; DOI: 10.1038/s41390-021-01641-0 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210729122209.htm

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