My brother lives in a fairly dense, turn of the century American neighborhood, with lots of old homes with fireplaces. I went running on Christmas Eve, and at

My brother lives in a fairly dense, turn of the century American neighborhood, with lots of old homes with fireplaces. I went running on Christmas Eve, and at first relished the smell of woodsmoke from all of the burning fires. Within a mile I realized that it felt like I was running with a cigar in my mouth. This article is no joke. Having grown up in a rural home heated by a wood stove, one thing this article says hits home: respiratory problems in small children. My father stopped using the wood stove after installing electric heat, only using the wood stove for the coldest nights.There was an immediate benefit for all 5 of his children.