Smoking Around Your Kids? You Should Be Fined, At a Minimum

**Collaborative post**

Smoking is a bad habit in itself, but if you are doing it in front of your children, you are exposing them to a danger that you don’t even recognize. You might not realize it, but even if you don’t smoke, breathing in someone else’s smoke is very deadly, as almost 3000 deaths in the US are attributed to heart disease because of secondhand smoke. 

As a parent, it is your duty to protect your children. But if you are putting your children’s life at risk yourself, there isn’t a greater moral sin than this. According to research by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, at least 4 out of 10 children are exposed to secondhand smoke. So, if you are a smoker, it falls upon you to ensure that your kids don’t suffer the negative effects of your bad habits. 

Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke on Children

As a child’s body is in the development phase, cigarette smoke can cause a lot of damage to his organs. A child exposed to secondhand smoke grows an increased risk of early death and diseases. Especially if you smoke near an infant, the smoke leads to impair a baby’s breathing and heart disease that leads to a sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI).

Continued exposure to smoke leads to added problems later in a child’s life like asthma, bronchitis, leukaemia, meningitis, pneumonia, tonsillitis, etc. moreover, it can also hinder the growth of their brain as it is a very sensitive organ and all the tar and carbon monoxide in the cigarette smoke reacts with hormones and creates deadly toxins. 

How to Protect Your Children if You Smoke

While I understand that smoking is a very addictive habit that is very hard to get rid of, you have to remember the fact that you are putting your child’s life at risk if you continue smoking. Not only are you setting a bad example for him, but you are also putting him in an environment where he shouldn’t be growing up. 

Even if you don’t light up cigarettes in the presence of your children, residue objects can cause harm in the form of third-hand smoke. Your toddler isn’t going to know the difference between cigarette ash and dust, and he might end up swallowing something he isn’t supposed to. So, you need to follow a few basic strategies to protect your children.

The very first thing that you should be doing is not allowing smoking in your home in any case. Whether it is you or your spouse, you should always go for a walk outside if you wish to smoke and wash your face once you come back. You should also keep a close eye on your relatives and friends or any other person that might get close to your children, like a babysitter, daycare worker, teacher, or attendants, to make sure that they aren’t a smoker. 

Another thing you could do is try to give up on smoking altogether. You can start vaping as it is a great alternative to smoking, and although it’s slightly better than smoking, you should still not use vape in front of your kids. Quitting might be the hardest thing for you to do, but you need to understand that it is the only way to ensure that your kids grow up to live a healthy and happy life.

If you are having a lot of trouble with giving up on smoking, you can also contact your doctor and get over-the-counter medicines along with trying methods such as vaping. Your resolve is going to play a huge part in helping you quit and give up forever.