As we have mentioned in previous editions, cigarette smoke contains more than 7000 toxic substances, of this amount, approximately 70 toxins are potentially cancer-causing specifically. These substances directly harm the consumer and unfortunately also affect those who breathe the smoke, even if they are not smokers. We have heard about secondhand smoke and the problems with which they relate, but this time we will focus on the consequences for the little ones at home.
Smoking is an activity that damages the body in different ways and different organs, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 16 million Americans live with a disease related to smoking. This data tells us a little about the consequences of this bad habit, which affect sooner or later the health of the consumer.
The most common diseases caused by smoking or secondhand smoke are, of course, lung diseases, different cancers, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory problems, bronchitis, asthma, problems with vision, weakening of the immune system, diabetes, tuberculosis, among others.
Continuing with CDC data, exposure to secondhand smoke or secondhand smoke, as it is also known, contributes to the deaths of approximately 41,000 nonsmokers and approximately 400 minors each year. These numbers tell us about the importance and awareness that we must have when making decisions regarding the environments where our children grow up.
A person who breathes cigarette smoke (without being a smoker) because they are in an environment where someone is smoking, may eventually have problems in their health related to heart, blood, and potential risk of sudden heart attack.
When it comes to minors, starting from the time the woman is pregnant, minors can suffer from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Cigarette smoke potentially affects the brain development of the child and also affects the proper functioning of the lungs in the regulation of the air / oxygen that is breathed.
Some of the recommendations that we must consider to protect minors are: avoid smoking during pregnancy, do not smoke at home, or do not allow someone else to do so, especially when there are babies in the environment and, lie babies face down when they take naps.
Studies show that babies with smoking parents are more likely to be sickly, their lungs develop poorly (they grow less than the standard average) and they may develop bronchitis, pneumonia or be asthmatic at some point in their growth. They may also be more sensitive to ear infections, eye infections (tender, watery eyes, reddish, or even going blind.)
Protect your children and do not expose them to environments where there are smokers, make sure they are in smoke-free places and if someone around you smokes, you have the right to demand that the person respect your children's space, kindly asking them to move away from the place or simply stop smoking while in that family environment.
Fuentes:
· https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/health_effects/index.htm
· Photo from Shutterstock.com https://www.israel21c.org/secondhand-smoke-in-kids-hair-prompts-behavior-changes-in-parents/
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