ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO-SMOKE AND OTITIS-MEDIA

Environmental tobacco smoke (secondhand smoke) is a hearth hazard expe rienced by one half to two thirds of the nation's children younger tha n 5 years of age. Although the role of environmental tobacco smoke in the genesis of pulmonary disease in children has been increasingly rec ognized, somewhat less attention has been paid to the role of environm ental tobacco smoke in the development of childhood otitis. This prese ntation will review current data regarding environmental tobacco smoke , with a particular emphasis on its effects on the ears and eustachian tube. Current American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surger y Foundation, Inc. education efforts will also be discussed.