According to a study that appeared in the December 2009 American Journal of Epidemiology children who were exposed to tobacco smoke at home regularly were likely to have early emphysema in adulthood. The effect could persist for long.

The researchers from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health conducted a study to figure out a possible connection between childhood ETS (Early exposure to tobacco smoke) and early emphysema.

Scientists put CT scans of 1,781 nonsmoking adults under a study. The participants were asked to give details about their exposure to tobacco smoke in childhood. The scans stated that participants who were exposed to tobacco smoke in childhood had more emphysema-like lung changes.

Gina Lovasi, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health says that they were able to figure out a stark difference between people who were exposed to tobacco smoke in childhood and people who were not.

"Some known harmful effects of tobacco smoke are short term, and this new research suggests that effects of tobacco smoke on the lungs may also persist for decades," Lovasi said.