52x52: Quit Smoking (in the vicinity of your children)

52 random acts of kindness that each take under 52 seconds. One action each week, over a year takes less than an hour of your life

Giving up smoking is hard. Any addiction is. And it would take more than 52 seconds to beat that addiction, although possibly less than 52 seconds to decide to quit, which many say is the not just the first step , but is the most important step. 

But I'm not talking about giving up smoking. If you are an adult that is your choice but your children do not have the choice to avoid passive smoking if you continue to smoke around them. 

According to the NHS passive smoking is 'particularly harmful for children' and any children who breathe in your second hand smoke have an increased risk of:

• coughs and colds
• development and worsening of asthma
• respiratory problems like bronchitis and pneumonia
• meningitis
• middle ear infection (leading to hearing loss)
• cot death

Not forgetting the possibility of cancer, heart disease, stroke and ....

'Children who grow up with a parent or family member who smokes are three times more likely to start smoking themselves.' ( NHS, 2015)

Be a good role model and at the very least don't subject them to 4000 chemicals every time you smoke.

• More info about passive smoking and quitting here.