Smoking is a serious health concern even for people who don’t light up. The dangers of secondhand smoke have been well documented, but new research suggests teen girls are particularly susceptible. According to a report published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, teen girls who were raised in homes where smoking was common had lower levels of good cholesterol than their peers. Scientists don’t know why girls would be more susceptible to smoke’s malign influences, but they suspect it may have something to do with girls’ hormones. “Assuming causality in these relationship,” wrote the researchers, “there are strong public health implications concerning the need to avoid children, particularly girls, being exposed to passive smoking in the household.” (Time)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.