Ten Reasons to Quit – For Parents

1- Smoking is bad for your health. Here are some of the illnesses related to tobacco use:

• Gum infections and mouth ulcers
• Cavities
• Frequent colds
• Cough, bronchitis
• Shortness of breath
• Erectile difficulties
• Mouth cancer
• Lung cancer
• Other cancers
• Heart disease
• Emphysema

2 – Your smoke is just as bad for your child’s health. If you smoke, they do too.

Second-hand smoke is harmful for the people around you. Your children breathe your smoke and will be at risk of contracting:

• Respiratory illnesses such as asthma
• Pneumonia
• Bronchitis
• Ear infections
• Coughs

Don’t forget that many cancers and heart disease are associated with tobacco use which can affect non-smokers just as much through second-hand smoke. The smoke that your child breathes contains nicotine and 4,000 other chemicals, 50 of which are cancerous. Here are some of the chemicals you expose your child to:

• Arsenic: used in rat poison
• Methane: used as fuel
• Ammoniac: used for detergents
• Butane: lighter fluid
• Acetone: nail polish remover
• Pyridine: dog repellant
• Formaldehyde: used in embalming

3 – Smoking during pregnancy can harm the baby

Women who smoke during pregnancy are more at risk of having a miscarriage, stillbirth babies or premature babies. The risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is also higher among children of smokers.

4 – Smoking shortens your life expectancy

A study by the British Medical Journal shows that each cigarette you smoke reduces your life by 11 minutes. A pack of 25 cigarettes reduces your life expectancy by 4.5 hours. Remember, even when you’re kids become adults, they’ll still want you to be there for them.

5 – The risk that your kids will smoke is higher

You are a role model. According to the Conseil québécois sur le tabac et la santé, children of smokers are three times more likely to start smoking than children with non-smoking parents.

6 – It’s expensive

If you smoke a pack a day it adds up to almost $3,500 a year. That’s a lot of restaurant dinners, family activities or even groceries that go up in smoke.

7 – More than ever there are resources available to help you quit.

Quitting is hard but you have more helpful resources at your reach: Internet sites, government programs, patches and nicotine gums. Use them.

8 – Create a smoke-free environment and save trees

Did you know that one out of eight cut trees is used to make or wrap cigarettes? If you’re concerned about the environmentalist, you should think twice.

9 – Smoke to stay slim?

If this was true, then all smokers would be thin. Get out and exercise, and play with your kids – it will keep you in much better shape!

10 – Smoking is aesthetically pleasing… guess again!

Whether it’s you or your home, cigarette smoke doesn’t do much for your appearance or your environment:

• Yellow teeth
• Bad breath
• Premature wrinkles
• Yellowish complexion
• Yellow fingers
• Stinky clothing
• Smelly house
• Yellow walls and curtains

01-18-07 – The Montreal Children’s Hospital