Summary

For parents who smoke and have children with asthma, their " bad habit " is usually a torture that makes them feel guilty. And although many of them attempt it, not all are able to quit it.

Here we give some explanations for you to try to give up smoking, and some strategies to achieve it.

Why smoking is bad?

There are a lot of reasons:

• • If you smoke is easier that your child will smoke, too, when he/she grows up
  • It is bad for your health
  • It is bad for your child

Nowadays we know that...

• • children of mothers who smoked during their pregnancy have asthma at an earlier age (first year of life)
  • children whose main caregiver ( the person who spends more time with him/her) smokes have more asthma and earlier than children without smokers at home.
  • Tobacco can make an asthma attack last longer

Some simple strategies to quit tobacco or to smoke less

Ask for help, always a good idea

If you have a child with asthma, you are a smoker, and you want to quit tobacco, the best thing for you is to ask for help...

• • firstly, people around you (they do not smoke close to you, they do not offer you tobacco...)
     
  • second, health professionals. There are a lot of help possibilities: support groups, medical treatments, psychological treatments.

If you have tried it again and again and you are not able to quit it, then remember...

• • When you smoke one cigarette, smog and tobacco particles remain in the environment during a lot of hours.
     
  • The most important thing: Never smoke at home. .Smoke all tobacco you want in the street (where it is permitted).
     
  • If you have guests at home, and they smoke, use one room for smoke and preserve the rest of your home free of tobacco.