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About half of inner-city children with asthma are exposed to secondhand smoke at home. To evaluate methods for reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, researchers in Baltimore randomized 126 children (97% black; age range, 6–12 years) with persistent asthma to receive two high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) cleaners, HEPA cleaners plus in-home health coaching designed to achieve a ban on home smoking, or in-home standard asthma education (control). All children lived in homes with smokers, and air cleaners were placed in the living rooms and children's bedrooms.
From baseline to 6-month follow-up, children in both air-cleaner groups had significantly greater decreases in particulate matter levels in their homes and a significant increase i…