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To back the "I love my smoke-free childhood" campaign, UICC released Protecting our children against second-hand smoke on World Cancer Day, 4 February 2008.

This 40-page report

• reviews current research
• spells out the health consequences to children of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and
• makes detailed recommendations on what can be done to protect children in homes and cars, day-care and schools, and other public places

The report is published in partnership with respected and recognized leaders in the tobacco control community, including Dr Jonathan Samet, senior scientific editor of the 2004 and 2006 US Surgeon General's reports on smoking and health.

"We believe this resource is extremely useful because it spells out clearly what we need to do - all of us - if we are to protect our children from the damaging effects of environmental tobacco smoke," says Isabel Mortara, UICC's executive director.

What is new in this report?

The report builds on article 8 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which commits government ratifying the treaty to act against environmental tobacco smoke.

It builds on the latest scientific evidence, including the US Surgeon General's 2006 report on the health effects of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke and more recent research.

It assesses the levels of exposure to second-hand smoke among children, using biomarkers such as the amount of cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine) in their urine, blood or saliva, or other markers such as the quantities of respirable suspended particles (RSPs), nicotine or carbon monoxide in the air they breathe.

For example, one recent study assessing the impact of smoke-free legislation shows that the level of cotinine in the saliva of Scottish schoolchildren fell by 40% on average after Scotland went smoke-free; in children living in smoke-free homes, it dropped by over 50%.

In the light of the most recent research, the report makes new recommendations to governments, policymakers and health professionals, reflecting the best current scientific opinion.

For example, it backs a new trend in many parts of the world to ban smoking in all vehicles, even private cars, where children are present. Until recently, cars were thought to be beyond the reach of legislation.

But the most important thing is this: Our report and our campaign focus on a key area which is beyond the reach of government action: children in their own homes, where they spent much or even most of their time, and where they are most vulnerable.

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