Report Links New Marijuana Laws To Rising Levels Of Bronchitis
KYW's Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross
By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It was bound to happen—and it is not unexpected. In populations where marijuana has been legalized we are beginning to see many of the same concerns we find with cigarettes. No doubt this is a predictable public health concern. According to a report based on a testing technique developed by the CDC, a substantial portion of young children admitted to the hospital for bronchiolitis in Colorado had evidence of marijuana in their systems. The report found 16 percent of children younger than 2 with bronchiolitis had marijuana metabolites in their urine. The issue is second hand smoke, and it may be worsened by some additional laws encouraged by politicians without medical backgrounds. Current Colorado laws forbid smoking marijuana in public places, and encourage people to smoke in the home, that is where children and other family members are found. According to the researchers, this is a key issue and there needs to be caution and protection for children from secondhand marijuana smoke, as more states have legalized marijuana, because we demonstrated that they are being exposed to it.
