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| Health & Well-Being
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Kick The Habit
Quit smoking for the sake of your children
By Angeline Tan
“Your child is far more susceptible than you to the toxins in cigarette smoke because his body is still developing and his breathing rate is faster than yours.”
“If you are a smoker, your child is more prone to colds, ear and chest infections, asthma attacks, coughing and wheezing. This affects his performance and attendance in school as he will fall sick more often.”
“Parents who smoke may not be aware that it can also influence their child’s future behaviour.” |
Scary fact 1: Your child is far more susceptible than you to the toxins in cigarette smoke because his body is still developing and his breathing rate is faster than yours. In short, his young lungs receive a higher concentration of inhaled toxins from smoke.
Scary fact 2: If you are a smoker, your child is more prone to colds, ear and chest infections, asthma attacks, coughing and wheezing. This inevitably affects his performance and attendance in school as he will fall sick more often.
YOU SMOKE, THEY SMOKE
Children like to mimic their parents’ behaviour. If you smoke, your child is more likely to pick up smoking in future. A study by Dartmouth College in the US shows that children with parents who smoked were four times more likely to buy cigarettes, compared to children of non-smoker parents.
These findings suggest that offspring of smokers are more likely to think that taking a puff is normal behaviour in social settings, so there is a higher likelihood that they would pick up the habit later in life.
This is similar to the Health Promotion Board (HPB) initiated Student Health Survey 2006 findings, which showed that a significantly more youth smokers (59 per cent) had at least one parent who smoked, compared to those who did not smoke (34 per cent).
Notes V Prema, deputy director of HPB’s Youth Health Programme Development 2, “Parents who smoke may not be aware that it can also influence their child’s future behaviour. We hope to encourage parents who smoke to quit the habit early in a bid to reduce the possibility of their children picking it up in future.”
“My unborn baby kept me strong and committed”
For Ann Aludra, 30, who runs online gift store Stubborn Snails and mum to Drayden, 19 months, becoming a mother helped her conquer her love for cigarettes.
“I was smoking one pack a day, sometimes even one and a half packs, especially at work and on days off when I was out partying with friends. One day, my cigarette tasted yucky after just one puff. When I lit up again later that night, it still tasted unpleasant, so I decided then that that was it, I quit! Two weeks later, I discovered that I was pregnant, so that made me even more determined to remain smoke-free.
The road to remain smoke-free has been quite a challenge. There were times during my pregnancy that I was tempted to light up, but my unborn baby kept me strong and committed.
Although I do still have cravings sometimes, the fact that I am breastfeeding, and my determination to be a responsible parent distracts me and allows me to handle my cravings better.” |
WARNING, DANGER!
Frightening facts about second- and third-hand smoke.
Second-hand smoke
Second-hand smoke is a toxic cocktail of poisons and carcinogens. It contains more than 4,000 harmful chemicals, including formaldehyde, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide, which are known to be toxic and cancer causing. When a smoker lights up, he inhales and exhales half the smoke (mainstream smoke). The other half floats around in the air (sidestream smoke). Environmental tobacco smoke, which gives rise to passive smoking, is made up of mainstream and sidestream smoke.
Third-hand smoke
Third-hand smoke is the smoke that is left behind after a cigarette is extinguished. Cigarette smoke contains gases and small particles that are deposited on every surface it comes in contact with, from the smoker’s hair, body and clothing, to toys, bedding, carpets and furniture. Even after he finishes a cigarette, a smoker brings dangerous toxins into the house. This is especially dangerous for children, who ingest the same amount of harmful chemicals as the smoker through their bodies and hands when they play and crawl on contaminated surfaces.
ACT NOW
Smoking harms, even to an unborn child. Pregnant women who smoke are strongly advised to quit for the health of both mother and baby as it can cause serious problems including miscarriage, labour complications, premature birth and stillbirth.
Experts also strongly advise women who are planning to have a baby to stub it out since lowers a woman's fertility level because it affects her ovaries and cuts oestrogen levels.
Here’s how to kick the habit:
• Have a quit plan.
• Get family and friends to support you.
• Stay away from people, places and situations that might tempt you to smoke, especially in the first few days of quitting.
• Avoid temptation - throw away all cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays.
• Think of yourself as a non-smoker.
• Change your daily routine to break up your habits and patterns.
• Do things that require you to use your hands, like household chores, handicraft or gardening.
• Nibble on healthy snacks (like carrot sticks or pieces of fruit) and drink plenty of water.
• Exercise regularly. Regular exercise relieves stress and makes you feel more energetic.
• Learn relaxation techniques to relieve tension and stress, like deep breathing exercises and muscle relaxation.
• If you miss holding a cigarette, use another object instead, such as a pencil, paper clip, coin or tooth pick.
• It is usually fine for pregnant women to use Nicotine Replacement Therapy products, although you should consult your health professional first before using them.
I QUIT
If you are determined to quit smoking, try these smoking cessation aids.
Pharmacotherapy products
Products that help to ease the withdrawal symptoms many smokers experience when they first quit smoking have proven to double a smoker’s chances of quitting successfully. These include Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT) in various forms. Patches, chewing gum, inhalers and lozenges can be bought over-the-counter at clinics and pharmacies. Prescription drugs that aid smoking cessation are also available. These nicotine-free remedies, such as bupropion hydrochloride and varenicline tartrate, can reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Smoking cessation advice
Pharmacists recommend suitable pharmacotherapy products. Available at retail pharmacy chains such as Guardian Health and Beauty, Watsons Pharmacy and Unity The Living Pharmacy.
HPB’s Quitline : 1800-438 2000
This toll-free confidential telephone service offers smokers advice on how to quit smoking and how to help someone quit.
RISKY BUSINESS
Each cigarette contains over 4,000 harmful chemicals, of which 400 are poisonous and at least 60 are carcinogenic. The top 10 most toxic substances are:
• Nicotine - an addictive drug.
• Acetone - found in nail polish remover.
• Ammonia - found in floor cleaners.
• Cadmium - a carcinogenic substance used in car batteries.
• Carbon monoxide - found in exhaust fumes.
• Tar - a substance used to surface roads.
• DDT - found in insecticide.
• Formaldehyde - for embalming dead bodies.
• Arsenic - found in white ant poison.
• Napthalene - found in moth balls
Mother & Baby Help For You
Useful resources to help you stay smoke-free.
BOOKS
(Book list compiled by Hussain Bachek, Noriahni Ismail and Stephanie Tan of the National Library Board)
Allen Carr’s Easy Way To Stop Smoking: Be A Happy Non-Smoker For The Rest Of Your Life, by Allen Carr (Call no: 613.85 CAR-[HEA])
Why do smokers find it hard to quit? Allen Carr, a former heavy smoker, calls for all smokers to reflect and re-examine their motives. Once you establish the truth, you’ll eliminate the desire to smoke.
Free Yourself From Smoking: A 3-Point Plan To Kill Nicotine Addiction, by Kristina Ivings (Call no: 616.8506 IVI [HEA]) Parents trying to quit will find useful tips such as the three-point plan. Helpful tips on how to overcome nicotine addiction.
Quit Smoking For Good: 52 Brilliant Little Ideas To Kick The Habit, by Clive Hopwood and Peter Cross (Call no: 616.86506 HOP-[HEA]) Parents who smoke are more likely to have children who suffer from serious respiratory infections. This pocket book of 52 brilliant little ideas helps you stay smoke-free for life.
Visit the Public libraries site to check title availability.
WEBSITES
YOUR TOTAL HEALTH
Shares the benefits of adopting a smoke-free lifestyle. Useful information on how parents can protect their children from second- and third-hand smoke.
HEALTH PROMOTION BOARD
Info on how to quit smoking, plus a list of local smoking cessation services to tap on.
HELPGUIDE.org
Quitting smoking can be a difficult but you can successfully quit when you create a personal game plan, know what to expect, are motivated and have social support. Learn how to replace smoking habits, manage cravings, and join the millions of people who have kicked the habit for good! |
If you have any comments or practical suggestions, write to us at editor@family.sg
- Mother & Baby
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