If I say it once, I must say it a million times a day (or at least it feels that way)…
“It doesn’t matter if you smoke outside, your child(ren) is/are being exposed to your smoking.”
The 2014 Report from the US Surgeon General outlines that it has been 50 years since the 1st Surgeon General’s Report out'ed the smoking industry (January 11, 1964). Can you believe that the warning label on cigarettes is also 48 years old now!!
More amazing is the statistics that more than 20 million have died in the last 50 years due to smoking. But what I find the most heart breaking is 2.5 million of these who died were NON-SMOKERS. Meaning they were killed by SECONDHAND SMOKE.
Think about it, if you are a non-smoker, you can pick out a smoker quickly. Just by simply walking by someone, any non-smoker can smell the cigarette smoke even if they haven’t light up in days. Smokers emit smoke smell from their clothing, belongings and even their own skin.
So the myth that, “we smoke outside” is just that, A MYTH.
Here’s the facts:
Children of smokers are more likely to develop asthma. These same children will also have more middle ear infections. They likely will have decreased lung function and are at higher risk for atherogenesis. (This is the formation of fatty plaques that can damage blood vessels and eventually lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes later in life.) Children with parents or family members that smoke are more likely to be smokers in the future.
The only way to protect your children is to create a COMPLETELY smoke-free home because limiting smoking is only minimally effective.
Do I need to remind you of exactly which cancers have been proved to have been caused by cigarette smoking?
And don’t even get me started on the e-cigarettes!! (That will be another post in the future)
So let me get off my soap box. I can’t make anyone quit. I can’t even scare people into quitting. But what I can do is offer help. Here are some resources and a simple 5 step process to think about:
Don't just quit, become a non-smoker.
1) Set a quit date. Write it down. Tell your family and friends
2) Choose help. 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)
3) Manage urges
4) Control your environment
5) Get support
Check out more at:
Family Doctor - Tobacco Addiction Guide
www.BeTobaccoFree.gov
http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/
http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
American Cancer Society - Tobacco Education
www.nicotine-anonymous.org
Secondhand smoke is more than annoying… It’s dangerous!
Be Well!