Quit smoking, for your children's sake

July 10, 2005

Sunday, July 24 is National Parents' Day, and Smoke Free Society urgently reminds parents that they are the most important role models in their children's life.

If parents engage in self-destructive behaviors, such as smoking, chances are their children will too.

Research indicates that children whose parents smoke are twice as likely to become smokers as children of nonsmoking parents.

According to the Federal Centers for Disease Control, in the U.S. every day, nearly 4,400 children between the ages of 12 and 17 years start smoking.

More than 6.4 million children living today will die prematurely because of a decision they will make as adolescents -- the decision to smoke cigarettes.

"I was sadly troubled when I witnessed a 2-year-old child imitating his father's movements of lighting up and puffing on a cigarette," said Carla Wakeman, volunteer for Smoke Free Society.

"How long will it be before that toddler is smoking for real?"she said.

One of the best things parents who smoke can do to improve their children's lives is to quit smoking, and Smoke Free Society can help.

Smoke Free Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping smokers quit and teaching kids not to start. Support is the key to help a smoker quit and remain smoke free.

As part of its "Save Your Loved One's Life" campaign, Smoke Free Society brings loved ones together to help them quit smoking.

Its buddy system allows family and friends to work with smokers through the entire quitting process -- from preparation, to quitting, to follow-up support.

"It was a joy to see my father smoke-free after smoking for 50 years," said Rez Seyedin, founder of Smoke Free Society.

"Even though it took some convincing and support from his family, he was able to quit. His nasty cough and constant throat-clearing were gone, their home and clothes smelled fresher than ever before, he had more money in his pocket and he looked much younger in just a year after quitting. He was also much more of a pleasure to be with."

Smoking not only damages the smoker's health and that of their family, but expensive tobacco products and their related costs -- a Duke University report puts the true lifetime cost of smoking at $40 a pack -- drain family funds that could be used for basic items such as food, education and health care.

And it limits families' means for outings, vacations and fun times together.

Those most affected by secondhand smoke in our homes are children.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, exposing children to the hazardous poisons in secondhand smoke can hinder the growth of their lungs and put them in danger of severe respiratory diseases, effects that can last a lifetime.

Parents who smoke should quit smoking before the destructive addiction becomes their children's lethal legacy.

The National Cancer Institute reports that about half the smoke generated by every cigarette smoked is sidestream smoke.

Sidestream smoke contains the same carcinogens as mainstream smoke, developmental toxins that alter the normal growth of cells, and mutagens that change cell genetics.

And according to information from Katherine Hammond, PhD, of the University of California at Berkeley's School of Public Health, nonsmokers receive the following equivalents of cigarette smoking:

In the nonsmoking section of a restaurant = 1.5 cigarettes

In a pack-a-day smoker's home = 3 cigarettes

In a smoky bar for two hours = 4 cigarettes

Riding in a car one hour with a smoker = 4 cigarettes

This National Parents' Day, save your parents by helping them quit smoking before it's too late!

Children of all ages are encouraged to visit Smoke Free Society's Web site, www.smokefreesociety.org, to take the first step in helping their parents quit smoking today for a longer, better and healthier tomorrow.

This column was submitted by Smoke Free Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping smokers quit smoking and educating kids not to start.