If you are a smoker, you may know the potential risks smoking can cause to your body. But if you have a child you should think twice the next time you are about to light up that cigarette. Here are the reasons why:
1. It can cause emotional disturbance to your child
Every child who goes to grade school had been taught that smoking is dangerous to health. Though they may not know exactly how smoking can cause diseases and deaths, many of them are scared of the danger smoking can bring to the smoker, especially if it’s a family member. Many children who have a parent or a loved one who is a smoker become bothered everytime they see that person smoke.
For every pack of cigarettes consumed by a smoker in a day, minutes are deducted from his life span. Smoking has been linked to cancer, heart disease, asthma, skin disorders and even GERD. So whenever your child sees you smoke, he may be thinking that sooner you’re going to be sick. It could be a reason why most children who see their father or mother or any member of the family smoke either become disgusted or anxious. Such could also be the reason why many children lack focus at school because of emotional disturbance that roots in their homes.
2. Smoking can affect the health of non-smokers like your children.
According to the American Cancer Society, smoking can lead to cancer for those who inhale second-hand smoke in a so-called “passive smoking”. Passive smoking happens when a smoke from smoldering cigarettes are captured in an enclosed area such as your living room or your bedroom and is inhaled by a non-smoker which could definitely be your child. Second-hand smoke has a lot of carcinogens and other chemicals which when inhaled by your child increases his risk of developing cancer, heart disease, stomach problems, skin disorders and asthma as he grows older. So if you want your child to outlive you, you should better stop smoking by now.
3. Smoking can decrease your child’s ability to think properly.
Second-hand smoke contains carbon monoxide which can cause disturbances in your child’s brain. Whenever you smoke, you are causing your child to get a poor performance at school.
You may not see the harm done by smoking at this time both to you and to your child, but if it happens that you’ll live longer than expected and get the chance to see your child become older, you might face the dreadful risks brought by your sticks of cigarette.
