Few Americans still heat their homes with coal, which it turns out is a good thing. This
article on the
United Press International website reports research that children raised in homes where coal is the primary fuel for cooking and heating are significantly shorter.
Oddly enough, the use of wood for heat and cooking does not have this effect. So all the rural folks with wood stoves, like the one in my living room, can keep on using them without compromising their children's health.
