Baby Owen asked me to write this blog for him, so I did. It explains why he thinks you should not smoke, especially around him, and why his mom doesn’t like to take him to smoky places or houses. All this info was found from the cool websites listed below the facts, check them out!
· Since 1964, there have been 94,000 tobacco related fetal and infant deaths in the US.
· Maternal smoking during pregnancy and exposure to second hand smoke in infancy double the risk of SIDS.
· Maternal smoking during pregnancy and exposure to second hand smoke in infancy result in the deaths of 776 infants every year in the US.
· Smoking causes impaired lung growth during childhood and adolescence.
· In just one year, cigarettes leave about 12,000 kids motherless. That’s 33 mothers a day.
· In just one year, cigarettes leave about 31,000 kids fatherless.
· In the US tobacco kills more Americans than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicides, drugs, and fires combined.
· Of current smokers in the US 2,633,000 have chronic bronchitis from smoking.
· In the US, 35,326 die from cancers other than lung, trachea, and bronchus caused by cancer.
· Cadmium is found in cigarettes. Cadmium is also found in batteries.
· Geranoil is found in cigarettes. Geranoil is also found in pesticides.
· In 1989, millions of cases of imported fruit were banned after a small amount of cyanide was found in just two grapes. There’s 33 more times cyanide in a single cigarette than was found in both of those grapes.
“According to the 2006 U.S. Surgeon General's Report, each year secondhand tobacco smoke is associated with an estimated 8,000 to 26,000 new asthma cases in children, an estimated 150,000 to 300,000 new cases of bronchitis and pneumonia in children younger than 18 months (7,500 to 15,000 of which will require hospitalization) and about 789,700 cases of middle ear infections in children.”
Secondhand smoke chemicals settle on everything – even if someone is not presently smoking in the room, the chemicals remain for a great length of time," says Watson-Stryker. You can probably see this (and smell this) firsthand if you or someone you live with smokes. Curtains and upholstery become yellowed, mirrors and windows become cloudy with smoke residue and walls need to be repainted more often. "One extra benefit of quitting is definitely less housework," says Donna Vallone, associate vice president for research at the Legacy Foundation. But although the aesthetics might be annoying, the resdue can be downright dangerous when babies or children are around. Children who play on the floor, for instance, can pick up chemical residue from carpets. It's also important to remember not to smoke in the car, as children can get as much exposure here as in the house. This is important for grandparents who smoke to note, especially if the grandkids visit their home regularly. Just because a child isn't in the room while you are smoking doesn't mean he isn't being exposed to a danger.
Please stop smoking. It’s best for your health and those around you. Here’s a link to the CDC’s resources to help people quit smoking
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/how_to_quit/index.htm
Life Lesson#10: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
