Tobacco Risks

How does living with a smoker harm my children?

Many people think tobacco-related health problems affect only adults after a lifetime of smoking or tobacco use. Yet, children and teens suffer from tobacco-related health problems as well. The fact is tobacco use can affect every member of the family.

Infants and children

As a parent, you would never knowingly harm your child. Yet, if you are a smoker, the smoke from your cigarette, cigar, or pipe may be putting your child's health in danger. Environmental tobacco smoke, or ETS, is the smoke that is breathed out by a smoker. ETS also includes the smoke that comes from a burning cigarette, cigar, or pipe.

Exposure to ETS is a serious health threat to children. Children exposed to ETS have a greater risk of many health problems including:

Smoking and ETS are also dangerous to pregnant women and their unborn babies. They have been linked to low birth weight, delayed growth, miscarriage, and stillbirth. Recent studies have found that infants are at greater risk of dying from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) if exposed to ETS or if their mother was exposed to ETS during pregnancy.

Teenagers

Ninety percent of all smokers begin the habit during their teens. Over the past 10 years, the number of smokers has decreased in every age-group except teenagers. Among teens, the number of young women smokers has actually increased. Teenage smokers suffer from:

Smoking is a lifelong addiction that is often hard to break. It may also lead to other addictions and a poorer quality of life. Fighting the influence of the tobacco companies and convincing children not to use tobacco products is a tough task. Parents need to give teenagers the facts about the negative effects of smoking.

Adults

Smoking is the most preventable cause of death and disability in the United States. Consider the following facts:

In 1964, 55% of adult Americans smoked cigarettes. By 1993, this percentage decreased to 25%. This shows that thousands of Americans have found a way to stop smoking. By doing so, they will live longer, feel better, and improve the health of their families.

Your pediatrician understands that good communication between parents and children is one of the best ways to prevent drug use. If talking with your child about tobacco use is difficult, your pediatrician may be able to help open the lines of communication. If you suspect your child is smoking cigarettes or cigars, chewing tobacco, or using any other drug, rely on your pediatrician for advice and help. If you smoke or use tobacco, quit. Your actions will influence your child's behavior too.

Break the habit

Would you like to join the growing numbers who have quit using tobacco? Have you tried in the past and failed, but would now like to try again? Why not ask your doctor for help? Your doctor may be just the person to help you find an effective stop-smoking program.