Children Who Live With Cannabis Smokers Also Test Positive to The Drug

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceAlert.

Cannabis is increasingly accessible in many countries, including several that have recently relaxed prohibition laws or legalized recreational use for adults.

According to a new study, smoking cannabis inside a home is associated with a higher likelihood of cannabis biomarkers in the urine of children who live there.

There are caveats, the authors note, but this still highlights the potential harm and suggests further study is warranted along with precautions, like smoking outside, that might help parents and guardians reduce risk in the meantime.

“While the long-term health consequences of cannabis smoke are not yet well-known, cannabis smoke contains carcinogens, respiratory irritants, and other harmful chemicals,” said John Bellettiere, an epidemiologist at the University of California San Diego.

“In our analysis, the odds of detectable cannabis in children were five times higher in households with reported in-home cannabis smoking,” he said. “This exposure to toxic chemicals, including known carcinogens, could have long-term health effects in these children.”

Bellettiere and his colleagues studied in-home cannabis-smoking habits in San Diego County, California, using data from Project Fresh Air (PFA); a randomized clinical trial conducted in the county between 2012 and 2016 to reduce levels of fine particulate matter in homes.

Using data from these sources in a new study, researchers found that 69 percent of households reporting in-home cannabis smoking had a child with detectable cannabis biomarker levels – compared with just 24 percent among households not reporting in-home cannabis smoking.

“As young children spend most of their time at home, reducing in-home cannabis smoking could substantially reduce their exposure to the toxic and carcinogenic chemicals found in cannabis smoke,” said Osika Tripathi, an epidemiologist at UC San Diego.

Source: ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/children-who-live-with-cannabis-smokers-also-test-positive-to-the-drug