Researchers find link between childhood household smoke exposure and antisocial behavior in adolescence

Researchers found modest, yet reliable long-term links between early childhood household smoke exposure and self-reported antisocial behavior in early adolescence.

For the study, parents of 1035 children reported on the presence of household smokers at seven follow-ups from ages 1.5 to 7.5. At age 12, children self-reported on five aspects of early antisocial dispositions.

"The findings suggest that neurotoxic second-hand smoke in the home during early childhood can subsequently influence a child's neuro-social development at a time when maturational pathways toward more deviant behaviors risk becoming entrenched," said Dr. Linda Pagani, lead author of the Indoor Air study.