Stop Smoking Academy

Ever heard a parent say “Do as I say, don’t do as I do.”? If you have ,then whoever said it can be certified a hypocrite and an extremely irresponsible person. Uh-oh, did you say it to your kids? Well then it’s you we are talking about.
Remember that children learn more from your actions than from your words. Any smoker parent can tell you that he or she does not what the children to start smoking, and wish they had never started themselves. Of course, wishing does nothing to change the situation, and any parent who knows the risks and dangers associated with smoking must do anything possible to stop this filthy habit before it claims the life, health as well as pocket books of their children. Yet, as a smoking parent, have you really understood what secondhand smoke can do to your children’s lungs? You must have heard that it is bad for them, but did you find out why?

Secondhand smoke is defined as the smoke that is emitted by a lit cigarette mixed with that smoke which is exhaled by the smoker. This kind of smoke affects everyone who is in close proximity to a smoker, and this of course includes children. The effects of this secondhand smoke can be seen even before a child is born. Research has proven that prenatal exposure to nicotine, like that contained in cigarette smoke, will invariably lead to a low birth weight in a baby. To add to this, it may be a cause of prenatal death and result in miscarriage. Of course, after the infant is born, secondhand smoke has been linked with the scary sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) which causes perfectly healthy and normal infants less than one year old to die without any visible cause. Children who survive their infancy and are prone to asthmas later on will have more severe asthma attacks than those of their counterparts who were born into smoke free environments. Thanks to the toxins that are exhaled as well as emitted from a lit cigarette, the children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are very often found to suffer from aggravated conditions of the respiratory system, such as chronic bronchitis, postnasal drip, and frequent colds. Of course, there are also many more health risks, such as an increased risk of ear infections and sore throats.

Nevertheless, the most severe damage done by secondhand smoke to children is the damage inflicted on their lungs. Babies who were exposed to nicotine before they were born, very often have reduced lung functions, which is the main cause for making them more susceptible to succumbing to SIDS soon after birth. One of the reasons why children are so strongly affected by secondhand smoke is the fact that the rate at which they breathe is much higher than an adult’s breathing rate, and therefore, by weight, they are receiving a bigger dose of secondhand smoke and all its toxins than an adult is. Add to this factor the developmental immaturity of a child’s lungs and it is not surprising that so many hospitalizations are caused by irresponsible parent’s smoking around the children.

One more factor to consider is the quantitative exposure of children to cigarette smoke; normally smokers have other smokers in their direct circle of acquaintances and they are less probable to ban smoking when outdoors or at any other location away from the children. Thus, a parent’s or caregiver’s secondhand smoke is not the only smoke that the children inhale, but they are also exposed to that of their friends, family, and acquaintances. Unfortunately, children who are exposed regularly to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer, just like their smoking parents and caregivers are. And you will agree that there is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing a child on a hospital bed whose fear of the unknown is clearly visible in their eyes and mannerisms. And if the parents, for some reason are have to leave the bedside even for a short time, this fear is compounded exponentially. Quite surely the saddest part of smoking related hospitalizations in children who were exposed to secondhand smoke is the fact that this situation could have been avoided completely. So do not wait until it is too late and your little one needs to make an unscheduled urgent trip to the hospital; quit smoking now for the sake of your little ones!