British poll: Kids hate being around smoke

• Tweet

LONDON, March 31 (UPI) -- A TV and radio campaign in England says smoking by a window or the back door does not protect children from harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoking results in more than 300,000 visits by children to doctors every year, 9,500 hospital visits and costs the National Health Service more than $38 million annually, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.

In addition, a survey indicated children just don't like being around cigarette smoke.

The survey of 1,000 children ages 8-13 whose parents were smokers was released in support of the anti-smoking campaign.

The survey indicated 98 percent of the children said they wished their parents would stop smoking, 82 percent said they wished their parents would not smoke in front of them at home and 78 percent said they wished their parents would not smoke in the car.

"We all know smoking kills but not enough people realize the serious effect that secondhand smoke can have on the health of others, particularly children," Andrew Lansley, health secretary, told the Telegraph. "This campaign will raise awareness of this danger and encourage people to take action to protect others from secondhand smoke."

The Royal College of Physicians said millions of children in the Britain are exposed to secondhand smoke increasing their risk of lung disease, meningitis and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.