Nearly 76 per cent of children in Bulgaria are exposed to second-hand smoke at home, head of the National Association for Pulmonary Diseases Protection Sophia Angelova said.

An anti-passive smoking campaign started in Bulgaria on March 1.

Children exposed to smoke at home suffer more often from asthma, bronchitis and other pulmonary diseases, Angelova said.

Only a third of the children in Bulgaria live in a tobacco smoke-fee environment, Angelova said as quoted by Bulgarian news agency BTA.

Apart from passive smoking at home, children suffered the same at clubs and internet cafés.

Research shows that 83 per cent of the children tried smoking.

The campaign launched on March 1 envisions free check-ups for smokers and events aimed at prevention and giving up smoking.