West Virginia's youngest and poorest children are twice as likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes as other low-income kids in the United States, according to a report released Tuesday.

More than 23 percent of West Virginia infants and toddlers enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program lived in homes where parents or caregivers smoked last year, the state's Office of Nutritional Services reported.

The national average for WIC children - ages 4 and under - was 10.6 percent.

Children exposed to tobacco smoke have higher rates of respiratory illness, ear infections and sudden infant death syndrome.

"Everybody knows secondhand smoke is bad, but they're still smoking around their kids," said Bruce Adkins, director of the state's Division of Tobacco Prevention. "People are so addicted. We have a lot of hard-core tobacco users in West Virginia, and they're tough to get at."

The WIC report also looked at other health risk factors for children, including low birthweight, anemia, obesity and television viewing.

About 52,000 infants and toddlers were enrolled in the state's WIC program in 2007.

According to the report, more than 25 percent of kids ages 3 and 4 were in homes where people smoked. The percentage declined slightly for children under 2.

"The younger they are, the worse it is," Adkins said. "They don't have developed immune systems. Their ability to fight off infections is severely diminished."

Denise Ferris, the state's WIC program director, said nutritionists are counseling parents about the dangers of smoking around their children.

"Generally, we find people are aware of the danger of [secondhand smoke], but they're not at the point of [stopping]," Ferris said. "If people tell us they're ready to make a change, we refer them to people who will help them." 

West Virginia has the second-highest percentage of adult smokers in the nation, behind Kentucky. More than one of every four West Virginias smokes.

Previous reports also have shown that the state has the highest rate of pregnant women who smoke - 27 percent - in the nation.

West Virginia's youngest and poorest children are twice as likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes as other low-income kids in the United States, according to a report released Tuesday.

More than 23 percent of West Virginia infants and toddlers enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program lived in homes where parents or caregivers smoked last year, the state's Office of Nutritional Services reported.

The national average for WIC children - ages 4 and under - was 10.6 percent.

Children exposed to tobacco smoke have higher rates of respiratory illness, ear infections and sudden infant death syndrome.

"Everybody knows secondhand smoke is bad, but they're still smoking around their kids," said Bruce Adkins, director of the state's Division of Tobacco Prevention. "People are so addicted. We have a lot of hard-core tobacco users in West Virginia, and they're tough to get at."

The WIC report also looked at other health risk factors for children, including low birthweight, anemia, obesity and television viewing.

About 52,000 infants and toddlers were enrolled in the state's WIC program in 2007.

According to the report, more than 25 percent of kids ages 3 and 4 were in homes where people smoked. The percentage declined slightly for children under 2.

"The younger they are, the worse it is," Adkins said. "They don't have developed immune systems. Their ability to fight off infections is severely diminished."

Denise Ferris, the state's WIC program director, said nutritionists are counseling parents about the dangers of smoking around their children.

"Generally, we find people are aware of the danger of [secondhand smoke], but they're not at the point of [stopping]," Ferris said. "If people tell us they're ready to make a change, we refer them to people who will help them." 

West Virginia has the second-highest percentage of adult smokers in the nation, behind Kentucky. More than one of every four West Virginias smokes.

Previous reports also have shown that the state has the highest rate of pregnant women who smoke - 27 percent - in the nation.

"The high prevalence of smoking in general, both men and women, certainly does increase the likelihood that children would be exposed to smoking," Adkins said.

West Virginia's most recent adult tobacco survey shows that 90 percent of West Virginians believe smoking is harmful, and 70 percent of West Virginia homes are smoke-free. About 35 percent of smokers say they don't light up at home, according to the survey.

Last November, Gov. Joe Manchin and Adkins' office launched an initiative to reduce smoking among pregnant women, new mothers and women of reproductive age.

Adkins said more pregnant women and their family members are now calling the state's tobacco "Quitline."

The WIC report also found that the percentage of West Virginia's WIC-enrolled children born at low birth weights has been higher than the national average for WIC kids since 2001.

Black infants in the state's WIC program had much higher rates of low birth weights than children of other races, according to the data.

The report wasn't all bad news, however.

The percentage of West Virginia WIC children with anemia has been considerably lower than the national average during the past seven years.

West Virginia children also watched less television than WIC kids nationally.

The percentage of overweight West Virginia children enrolled in WIC also was lower than the national average for other low-income kids in the nutrition program, according to the report.

WIC provides coupons that parents can use to buy dairy products, eggs, cereal, juice and other nutritious foods for their children. In West Virginia, the federal-assistance program serves half of all children born in the state.

Reach Eric Eyre at erice...@wvgazette.com

or 348-4869