Maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) is an avoidable risk factor of pre- and peri-natal health disorders. Recent data suggest that MSDP may have also negative effects on the health of children and adolescents and even of adults. Large cohort studies over the past 10 years have shown that MSDP is an independent risk factor of the offspring's mortality and of several health problems such as asthma, obesity, smoking, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Fetal hypoxia or epigenetic toxicity are the most frequently raised hypotheses to explain these long-term effects. The eradication of MSDP could contribute to the reduction of childhood mortality and could reduce the incidence of health disorders of the next generations. (C) 2019 l'Academie nationale de medecine. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.