Parents may feel that what they say to their kids goes in one ear and out the other. But parents may have more influence than they think when it comes to talking with their teens about alcohol and drug use.

Movie characters haven’t been smoking on the silver screen nearly as much as they used to. They have been drinking beer though, and more and more of it every year.

Secondhand smoke exposure during childhood may change cholesterol levels in a way that could increase the risk for heart disease later in life. That risk may not be the same for both genders.

Smoking can do more than damage your lungs and give you bad breath. It's also linked to kidney disease in adults – and possibly in children as well.

Pregnant moms may be getting better about quitting smoking while they’re pregnant, but once the baby is born, many light up again.

If you're treating a teen for mental health, it's important to understand the big picture. The big picture includes how much they drink, smoke or use marijuana.

One of the worst things a person with asthma can do is smoke, or even be around tobacco smoke. Fortunately, fewer asthmatic kids are smoking or are around secondhand smoke.

Asthma attacks are serious problems, especially in children. Why aggravate asthma attacks that lead to hospital visits by exposing kids to smoke?

Kids hospitalized for respiratory problems often live in homes where adults smoke. Can healthcare professionals make a difference by talking to parents about secondhand smoke?

If you thought the effects of the economic recession were temporary, think again. National unemployment dips may have a surprising long-term effect on the very youngest generations.