Smoking and My Child’s Health

TOPIC: Smoking And Health Risks

According to the CDC (2020)

Factors Associated With Youth Tobacco Use:

• At the current rate among use (5.6 million) in the US younger than 18 will die from a smoking-related illness. That’s one out of every 13 Americans aged 17 years or younger who are alive today.
• Nearly 9 out of 10 adults who smoke cigarettes daily, first try prior to the age of 18, 99% by age 26.
• Each day about 1,600 youths smoke their first cigarette and nearly 200 youth start smoking everyday.
• Flavorings can make tobacco products more appealing.
• In 2020, 85% of high school students and 74% of middle school students who reported using tobacco products in the past 30 days reported using a flavored tobacco product.
• E-cigarettes have been the most commonly used tobacco product among youth since 2014.
• After increasing between 2014-19, a decrease in e-cigarettes.
• Many young people use two or more tobacco products.
• White teens smoke more than Black teens with Hispanic teens somewhere in the middle.
• Teens that performed poorly in school are more likely to be smokers.
• From 2011 to 2020 current use of cigars among this age group went down.
• From 2011 to 2020 current use of hookah (water pipes) did not change among middle schoolers.
• In 2020 between 1.3-1.4% of all adolescents reported using heated tobacco in the past 30 days. 
• Heated tobacco delivers nicotine to the user by heating the leaves rather than the nicotine containing liquid such as e-cigarettes.
• Mass media normalizing teen use of tobacco.
• Youth seeing other young people using tobacco.
• High school athletes are more likely to use smokeless tobacco.
• Young people are more likely to use smokeless tobacco if their parents use smokeless tobacco.
• Biologic and genetic factors that may make quitting more difficult.
• Mental health: strong relationship between youth smoking, depression, anxiety and stress.
• Personal views: positive outcomes such as weight loss, coping with stress etc.
• Other influences: lower socioeconomic status, education, doing poorly in school, low self-image, advertising etc.

TOPIC: Effects Of Second-Hand Smoke On The Help Of Unborn Children

• “Second-hand” smoke is a major cause in children’s illnesses.
• It contains more than 7,000 chemicals, of which hundreds are toxic and about 70 can cause cancer.
• It is linked to lower respiratory tract infections (croup and pneumonia).
• It is linked to increased fluid in the middle ear (ear infections).
• It is linked to reduced lung function.
• It is linked to additional episodes of asthma.
• It is associated with cancers and leukemia in childhood.

TOPIC: Positive vs. Negative Role Model

To be a role model as a parent means to set an example for your children to follow. Positive and negative has to do with the behaviors that are being modeled. A parent smoking is a negative role model because of the health consequences associated with it.

Try This…

1. Discussed the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke with members of your family.
2. If you smoke, identify the steps you need to take to stop.