Parents and carers who smoke are being urged by health specialists today to stub out their cigarettes when children are present in enclosed spaces.
They warning comes amid a lack of widespread awareness of the effects of secondhand smoke on children and ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31st.
It is estimated that about four in every ten children in UK households are exposed to secondhand smoke in their home - around five million children.
Research has found that most parents are not aware of the effects their smoke could have on children.
Secondhand smoke has been shown to cause a range of health problems in children such as increased susceptibility to chest infections, including bronchitis and pneumonia, as well as increased risk of asthma, glue ear and middle ear infections.
The Faculty of Public Health and Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) say that by stubbing out parents will protect their children's health as well as discouraging them from taking up the habit, as children whose parents smoke are around three times more likely to take up smoking themselves.
The two groups want the government to educate the public and health professionals on the health risks to children posed by secondhand smoke, and to make sure that stop smoking services are adequately funded and targeted towards disadvantaged smokers.
"Stopping smoking is not only the best thing you can do for your own health, but also that of your children," said FPH president Alan Maryon Davis.
"Smoking is both deadly and addictive and it is essential that we do all we can to both protect children from the effects of other people's smoke and prevent them from taking up the habit themselves."
Ash director Deborah Arnott added: "Day after day, millions of children are forced to breathe in their parents' tobacco smoke resulting in thousands of preventable cases of respiratory illnesses.
"The only way for parents to ensure that their children are not exposed to deadly tobacco smoke is for them to make their homes and cars smokefree."
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