400,000 deaths in the United States are attributed to traditional tobacco usage each year.  This staggering number is greater than most of the top ten causes of death combined. One would think an individual would see a statistic like this and throw their pack of cigarettes away.  As a former smoker, I can tell you it’s not that easy.  Aside from the nicotine, we have developed patterns of behaviors that make the addiction so much harder to break. From the tearing of the cellaphane, to the feel of our cigarette, to holding it in our mouth, to watching the smoke escape into the atmosphere…the entire process has become part of our addiction.  Breaking such an expierience would bring a whirlwind of stress to our lives.  Furthermore, we feel bullet proof and every statistic doesn’t seem to get our attention.  Maybe this one will:  Every year 600,000 innocent people die worldwide from second hand smoke!

That’s right.  Within 10 years, 6 million people who do not smoke will perish from second hand smoke.  We may not care of the risk we put ourselves at, but it seems a little selfish to overlook the harm we cause others.  Smoking bans are going into affect everywhere and with good reason.  Lawmakers are hearing the crys from the non-smoking public.  This non-smoking public is digesting all the studies and doing something about it.  Studies on second hand smoke are just as alarming as first hand smoke.  New studies on third hand smoke are equally alarming.

As a smoking parent, we go outside our home or exit the car before smoking around our little one.  We do not want to expose our children to second hand smoke.  We understand the dangers and our love for our children makes us do the right thing.  However, studies are coming in showing that this behavior is not enough.  There is a little secret called third hand smoke.  Third hand smoke is the smoke on your clothes.  Meaning: you take a smoke break, you get smoke embedded in your clothes, and now everyone is smoking with you when they smell that smoke on your clothes.  Third hand smoke is proving to be just as bad as first and second hand smoke. As an ex-smoking parent this was a alarming fact for me. I was unknowingly exposing my child to this countries #1 cause of death.

As smokers, we may not worry about the harm we cause ourselves.  Inhaling 4,000 chemicals, 50 carcinogens, building up of tar, and the robbing our blood of oxygen seems to be a small deterent for the pleasures of smoking.  Substance like arsenic, formaldehyde, and benzine have been willingly added to our diet.  However, lack of our own well being can not get in the way of our responsibility to those around us.  From our innocent children to the non-smoking strangers we sit next to every day, we must be sensitive to their right to live a smoke free lifestyle.  If we can not find the will to quit, we must respect the children and the non smoking public around us. After all, they are making the right choice and so should we…before it’s too late.

Anonymous