Lessening Secondhand Smoke on Children - Research Paper Example

REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF SECONDHAND SMOKE ON CHILDREN A .Reducing the Effects of Secondhand Smoke on Children Secondhand smoke is defined by MedicineNet.com as tobacco smoke that is passively breathed in by people in the vicinity of a person who is smoking. Secondhand smoke has been described in different settings as involuntary smoking, passive smoking or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). It is composed of a mixture of two major components, mainstream smoke and sidestream smoke. Mainstream smoke is the smoke that is actively exhaled by the smoker while sidestream smoke is that which comes from the burning tip of the tobacco stick itself. There is a misguided perception that only the active smokers are at risk of tobacco-related morbidities and mortalities. The truth of the matter is, when both an active and passive smoker inhale the tobacco smoke, they are exposed to the same chemicals and toxins, nicotine included. As opposed to adults who have the freedom and resources to choose smoke-free environments to live in, children are the most vulnerable group as pertains to secondhand smoke exposure. Children of smoking parents are exposed to second hand smoke at home and in the car when travelling with parents. Some parents actually smoke in the car when taking their children to school or when picking them up from school. To make the matters worse, some teachers smoke in schools and therefore broadening the cycle of exposure to children further. When such children move on the streets where people smoke in public, exposure is even worse. Considering the cycle of secondhand smoke exposure to young children, measures should be put in place to protect these vulnerable groups. Secondhand smoke as it is has far-reaching detrimental effects on the human body. These health problems and disease are caused by about sixty-nine different chemicals and toxins. Nicotine that is present in tobacco has been shown to cause addiction and physical dependence on tobacco products. Some of the harmful effects in the body include; cardiovascular diseases, chronic bronchitis, asthma, lung cancer, reduced healing processes and low birth weight in pregnant women. The misguided perception that smoking is cool sand modern has resulted in an increase in active tobacco smokers. This is even further fueled by the advertisement placed in the media by the tobacco processing companies. Active smokers being the source of secondhand smoke, if their numbers increase, the amount of secondhand smoke increases. On the other hand, the public is increasingly becoming informed on the health hazards of tobacco smoking. As a result, there has been a public outcry and advocacy for legislations that will ban smoking in public places and work environment. The main objectives of Healthy People 2020 as concerns tobacco use are; 1. Reduce the number of adults using tobacco. 2. Reduce the number of adolescent using tobacco. 3. Reduce the number of young adults, adolescents and children being initiated into tobacco use. 4. Support and encourage adults who attempt to cease smoking. 5. Upgrade tobacco screening in health care facilities. 6. To decrease exposure to secondhand smoke by non-smokers. 7. Establish laws that ban smoking in worksites and public places. 8. To make school facilities and vehicles tobacco-free. 9. Increase taxes on tobacco and tobacco products. 10. To introduce tobacco control programs which are evidence-based. B. Target Population This health promotion targets the basic unit of the society, the family, but more specifically the parents, infants and children of school going age (8 to 18 years). The first place that a child can be exposed to secondhand smoke is the home environment in case the parents smoke. In the recent past the number of young women who smoke has tremendously, due to peer influence and misguided notion that smoking is cool. This trend has made mothers the first source of secondhand smoke exposure to their children. This is because neonates, infants and children spend most of their early life in close proximity to their mothers. It has also been reported that when a breastfeeding mother smokes tobacco, nicotine finds its way into breast milk. Nicotine introduces nicotine addiction and dependence on the children. Such children take up the habit and start smoking at a very tender age hence becoming long-term sources of secondhand smoke. The school going children get exposed to secondhand smoke from teachers who smoke in open places when in the school environment. Another important source of exposure is the public transport. There are people who smoke in public service vehicles which some of the children use for transport to school. There are also smokers at the bus stops, lengthening the cycle of exposure hence increasing the health risks involved. Smoking among the school going children is most common among the teenagers between 14 to 18 years of age. If a student is a non-smoker but keeps company of smokers, the exposure to secondhand smoke increases. This health promotion will attempt to discourage non-smokers from keeping such company. The other sectors that are also targeted are the tobacco processing companies and the media. The companies produce tobacco products such as cigarates and cigars which have to reach the market and therefore the need for advertisements. They design adverts that encourage tobacco smoking so as to increase their sales. These adverts are aired by the media to the public. Given the above reasons, both the media and the processing companies indirectly contribute to secondhand smoke as they encourage smoking. C. Applications in Advanced Practice; Skills and knowledge to be acquired Since advanced practice involves clinical education and appropriate decision making skills, reduction of secondhand smoke exposure is of tremendous importance and value. Nursing practitioners take part in health policy making and therefore skills in health-related issues, secondhand smoke included, are inevitable. Knowledge in skills and strategies on reduction of secondhand smoke will help a nursing practitioner improve the quality of life of all humans. In the health practitioner fraternity the objective is disease prevention, and therefore if nursing practitioners succeed in decreasing secondhand smoke, the objectives will be achieved. This health promotion will give the nursing practitioners a chance to participate in anti-smoking law making and implementation. They will also be able to counsel and advise smoking parents on the various methods of reducing the amount of secondhand smoke their children are exposed to. Knowledge in this field will enable nursing practitioners to attract funding. This is because donors are likely to fund people who know what they are doing and programs that are result oriented. D. Theoretical Framework `Incorporating the community organizational theory is instrumental. This is because it helps the community understand the responsibility it has towards ensuring that the children grow up in an environment free of tobacco smoke pollutions and other health hazards. The theory engages the community in activities such as empowerment. Trained individuals visit and advise parents and guardians on favorable means through which they can ensure their children are not exposed to secondhand smoke from avid cigarette and substance smoking. Moreover, these people hold forums where they get to advise children on the effects of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke. In such gatherings children are informed and advised on safe ways to avoid exposure. Parents are also trained on techniques that can help them minimize secondhand smoke exposure in their children. E. Literature Review and Analysis According to Califano (2014), one of the most effective ways of reducing secondhand smoke exposure in children is, ensuring that the parents and nannies or anyone who smokes does not carry out the activity in close proximity to the children. Having this policy is quite imperative for it ensures that the children spend more than 70% of the time away from any dangers of a smoking adult. Evidence has shown that parents or guardians who smoke close to their children lead to development of lung problems. Such conditions like lung cancer develop and pose major health problems because lungs of young children are in a critical stage of development. As a result of the health deteriorations posed, smoking should carried out very far away from young children. Wilson (2012) gives the second way through which parents and guardians can reduce secondhand smoke exposure in children. He advises against exposing children to social gatherings where smoking is practiced. Exposure to such environments does not only expose them to secondhand smoke, but also encourages them to pick the smoking habits. This is very detrimental to society as it leads to a smoking community that is unhealthy for developmental purposes. Ensuring that associates do not visit these places in the company of children is the most appropriate form of intervention incorporated. Professor Fred Garzia states that children associate with different people both in the community and at school. It is thus difficult to determine the specific people who have a great impact on the children in relations to smoking (Garzia, 2011, p 42). It is thus appropriate to identify that one of the best and most effective ways to reduce secondhand smoking among children is the increased advocacy on the dangers of smoking. When the smoker reviews these dangers critically, there is a tendency of the number of smokers decreasing significantly and consequently the rate of secondhand smoking among children decreases. This has had a great impact in Australia that has made tremendous strides in the advocacy on the dangers of smoking, recording a 23% decrease in the number of smokers in the country. The school and other educational institutions have a pivotal role in this. Dr. Upton (Upton, 2010, p 116) says that the administration organs of such institutions should formulate and enforce anti-smoking laws and campaigns. Many institutions have teachers who smoke in the presence of their students. This is a major factor leading to an increase in secondhand smoking among children over the year resulting in long term health problems. Evidence shows that such habits resulted in the 30% rise in secondhand smoking during the 1970s (Walque, 2013, p 26). It is therefore clear enforcement of these policies and laws can drastically decrease secondhand smoking. The other means through which the effects of secondhand smoking can be reduced is through the joint actions of parents, teachers, medical provider and the society at large.. They should advice the children on the dangers of associating with smokers. This will act as a constant reminder since every place they go to advice will be available. Many children in the 1990s did not have affective advice on the effects of toxic substances on their body and thus they associated with different types of people (Hanson, 2013, p 91). However, accurate evidence on effectiveness of advising the children on the importance of avoiding smokers is seen in the 21st century. This is because families have had the abilities to discuss these dangers with their children and given the appropriate advice. F. Interventions The interventions which are provided to this effect seek to ensure that secondhand smoke has been reduced significantly and its effects on children eliminated. This will be critical to ensuring that children do not become exposed to smoke at an early age, which threatens their lives. Exposure of children to smoke exposes them to various forms of dangers which include smoke related diseases. The interventions would be focused on three major approaches through which children become exposed to secondhand smoke. Reducing Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Smoke remains the largest cause of preventable deaths around the world and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke has some adverse effects on the people adoption of strategies to reduce this form of some would include the following interventions. Creating smoking bans and restrictions within certain places. This would involve implementation of policies and regulations which are aimed at limiting or controlling the use of tobacco within designated areas (Mills, White, Pierce, & Messer, 2010). These approaches are strongly effective based on scientific evidence regarding exposure to ETS. This also has some effects on reducing the amount of smoke within the environment since some people become deterred from smoking (Mons, Nagelhout, Allwright, Guignard, Putte, Willemsen, & Breitling, 2010). Conducting community education among the parents and teachers about the relevance of reducing smoking. This will be undertaken in seeking to create awareness on the various individuals, including children, regarding the positive outcomes of reduced smoking. The education interventions will motivate individuals to modify their smoking behaviors in the effort to reduce the ETS. Reducing Tobacco Use Initiation Tobacco use initiation is described as the behaviors by individuals, who are non-smokers to begin smoking. Different interventions can be undertaken to reduce these initiations and they include the following. Increasing the price of tobacco products – this is a legislative measure which seeks to increase the price so that people become deterred from using these products (Hiscock, Bauld, Amos, Fidler, & Munafo, 2012). Although these are various factors which affect the possibility of people smoking, the cost factor plays a fundamental role to which effect since people must consider their costs. Mass media campaigns – these can be combined with other interventions, like education to the general public. These campaigns are focused at providing information to the general public regarding the importance of living a tobacco free lifestyle (Martens, 2010). Formative research must be undertaken in order to determine the message which will be delivered in these campaigns and determine the target population for the campaigns. Increasing Tobacco Use Cessation Tobacco cessation use is described as the change in behavior by smokers to stop using tobacco products. The interventions include the following. Mass education – this is normally undertaken through organizing campaigns aimed at informing smokers on the effects of smoking and the importance of cessation. These campaigns also provide the people with approaches through which they can cease the smoking. Provider reminders – these are messages delivered by the tobacco manufacturing organizations and which are normally printed on the packages. These messages are delivered with the purpose of seeking to ensure that the individuals which have been identified as smokers are provided with the necessary warnings to enhance the need to stop smoking. Evaluation The implementation of the mentioned interventions will be critical to the lessening of secondhand smoke effect on children. Despite the results of the implementation, there is a need to undertake an evaluation of these interventions to assess their effectiveness in achieving the objectives. The evaluation of these approaches will be critical to ensuring the successful implementation of the interventions within the social system. Different evaluation approaches should be employed in seeking to ensure that the interventions are implemented successfully. Formative Evaluation This will apply The Five A’s approach in identification of the people who might need the interventions. The process involves asking people simple questions regarding the history and then making a decision on whether to include them in the intervention or not. The questions will include the following • Have you used tobacco in the past 6 months? • Do you currently use tobacco? • How often do you use tobacco? • Have you ever tried to quit or thought about quitting? • What strategies or medications did you use? Summative Evaluation or Assessment This will be conducted on the individuals who have been identified after the first formative assessment and/or evaluation and will also include the people being questioned in order to assess their behaviors following the administration of the interventions. The assessment will be in the form of questions which will be analyzed to establish effectiveness of the interventions. The questions would include the following • Do you think the intervention was good for you? • Which of the cessation programs do you think help you the most to stop smoking? • Do you think medication and/or change in behavior is an effective approach in helping cessation of smoking? • Do you think social support is necessary for you after undergoing the process of cessation? Outcome Evaluation This will be undertaken on the basis of the implementation objectives which have been established for the intervention these evaluation procedures will require the undertaking of a formative research to establish the current situation for which the outcome will be established (Sims, Tomkins, Judge, Taylor, Jarvis, & Gilmore, 2010). This will involve the observation of the community in seeking to establish the achievements which have been received after implementation of the interventions. Impact Evaluation The effects which the interventions have on the exposure to smoke up on children will be estimated following the assessment of the affected people. This will include visiting the special population of the individuals like nurse practitioners (NPs) and physicians, cessation resources and many other special groups which can avail essential impact information. Such information will enable the estimation of the various impacts like the reduction of the effects which were observed among some populations. References Bearman, P. (2011). After tobacco: What would happen if Americans stopped smoking? New York: Columbia University Press. Califano, J. (2014). How to Raise a Drug-Free Kid. Chicago: Chicago University Press. Fischer, C. T. (2011). Qualitative research method for psychologists: Introduction through empirical studies. United Kingdom: Elsevier Science & Technology Publishers. Fridlund, B. & Hildingh, C. (2000). Health and qualitative analysis method. 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