Parents who smoke affecting childrens health

Jumbo156

As a smoker I was watching the TV programme last night, Spoilt Rotten.
It was about about Parents spoilling their children and causing health problems in their kids which could be easily avoided.

The one that amazed me was the affect that passive smoking can have on a child's hearing.

I have never and would never smoke in front of my kids. I have never smoked in the house even when they aren't there.
But a nurse said last night that after a cigarette, the smoke stays on your clothes and on your breath and breathing around children even hours after a fag can cause the problem.
I always thought that it was the smoke itself that causes the problem. Seemingly not..
Anybody else shocked by this.

simu

Jumbo156 wrote: »

But a nurse said last night that after a cigarette, the smoke stays on your clothes and on your breath and breathing around children even hours after a fag can cause the problem.
I always thought that it was the smoke itself that causes the problem. Seemingly not..
Anybody else shocked by this.

I'm curious about this too but I haven't been able to find any solid info on the topic i.e. scientific studies rather than opinion.

deisemum

You only have to go near a smoker to smell the smoke off their breath, clothes and hair many hours after they've last smoked. Even smoking indoors while children are not around still leaves toxins on furniture and this lingers for a long time so it's still potentially harmful.

I have often come away from visiting a smoker's home and even though the smoked did not smoke while I was visiting my clothes, hair etc has stank of stale cigeratte smoke.

Here's a link to a recent report on third hand smoke

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/danger-of-thirdhand-smoke-raises-new-health-alarm-2054292.html?from=dailynews

Terpsichore

Maybe the best incentive EVER for you to seriously face your demons and stop the evil smoking for good.

All the best to you and the most sincere wish of optimum healthiness to you and your family.

Malari

I was pretty shocked at this - started another thread in the Nutrition forum.

I hadn't heard anything before about the effects of passive smoking on hearing, but it seems to exacerbate the symptoms or put children more at risk, rather than cause it directly. At least, from reading a few articles on medical websites that's what I gather.

Jumbo156

Terpsichore wrote: »

Maybe the best incentive EVER for you to seriously face your demons and stop the evil smoking for good.

All the best to you and the most sincere wish of optimum healthiness to you and your family.

Thank you , and you are right, irregardless whether it has been proven or not about the kids hearing, it has been proven that I will live longer to see them grown up if I stop, so time to stop! (if only it was that easy )

Terpsichore

Jumbo156 wrote: »

Thank you , and you are right, irregardless whether it has been proven or not about the kids hearing, it has been proven that I will live longer to see them grown up if I stop, so time to stop! (if only it was that easy )

I am so glad you didn't take it the wrong way. Good on you!
I am completely with you on that one.
Not that easy at all.
I wish you all the best, sincerely.

foxy06

Jumbo156 wrote: »

Thank you , and you are right, irregardless whether it has been proven or not about the kids hearing, it has been proven that I will live longer to see them grown up if I stop, so time to stop! (if only it was that easy )

I stopped with the alan carr book. Would recommend it. You should get it cheap somewhere in a charity shop (would only be about a tenner in the bookshop new though). Been off them 7 years now:D

Vel

Malari wrote: »

I was pretty shocked at this - started another thread in the Nutrition forum.

I hadn't heard anything before about the effects of passive smoking on hearing, but it seems to exacerbate the symptoms or put children more at risk, rather than cause it directly. At least, from reading a few articles on medical websites that's what I gather.

Yes, what I gathered from listening to the nurse was that the smoking was worsening the children's already existing ear conditions but not actaully causing those conditions in the first place

simu

deisemum wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/danger-of-thirdhand-smoke-raises-new-health-alarm-2054292.html?from=dailynews

That's about people who smoke indoors away from the kids though. What about people who only smoke outdoors - does that have any effect, I wonder?

Or are the media just driving people into an OCD-ish frenzy with all these stories of silent killers/unknown toxins etc etc?

Sleepy

I'd like to see some hard scientific data on this too simu. Only ever smoke outside ourselves and can't for the life of me see how whatever traces of smoke would linger on my breath or clothing could be any more harmful to a child than the 'fresh' air outside which would have traces of automotive, domestic fuel burning and industrial emissions etc.

Nevyn

When I was working in Intel in the Fab one of the talks was about how we brought particulates in with us despite the suits which we wore and one of the stats was that after just 1 ciggarette a smoker would breath out smoke particales for 20 mins afterwards.

Jinxi

simu wrote: »

That's about people who smoke indoors away from the kids though. What about people who only smoke outdoors - does that have any effect, I wonder?

Or are the media just driving people into an OCD-ish frenzy with all these stories of silent killers/unknown toxins etc etc?

If you can smell cigarette smoke(breath, room, clothes) then its the smoke you are inhaling. humans do not have that sensitive a nose either.
When you smoke in a house with children in it the smoke disipates in to the air which flows freely into all non-air tight places in the house, including childrens lungs.
Its like a drop of food colouring in the bath. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean its not there. And even one cigarette's smoke is way more than a drop in the house's air capacity

r3nu4l

Without any 'hard' data just remember that smell is generated by chemicals entering the nasal passage. In the case of smoke, that smell of smoke is actually chemicals from the smoke that enter the nasal passage and from their, enter the lungs, where they pass into the bloodstream and get carried around the body to the liver before being cleaned out by the liver. However, on the way to the liver they can cause cumulative damage to various cells over time, they can irritate the airways etc.

Third hand smoke is only relatively recently recognised as being of any significance, hence the paucity of data. Even now that it is recognised, most funding bodies don't want to spend money on it because they feel that the linnk between smoking and early death is so well established that it's not worthwhile. Some funding bodies will invest in such research but not many, so it could be a while before any good hard data is released and even then unless the studies are well designed they might be meaningless.

Rubberlegs

Ah this topic is one that makes me want to scream!! Any parent who thinks that their smoking even if in another room does not affect their kids is in pure denial and completely selfish to boot:mad: And as for those you see smoking in their car with kids in the back, its just unbelievable. I have friends who smoke and their houses, clothes etc and their childrens clothes constantly stink of fags. Their kids often have niggly coughs. But none of this would make them give up smoking or at least go outside the house to smoke. My Dad smoked for years but gave up in the early 80s, as my sister who was 3 at the time was constantly coughing and getting chest infections. Immediately he gave up, my sister was better. I think that says a lot.

Jumbo156

73Cat wrote: »

Ah this topic is one that makes me want to scream!! Any parent who thinks that their smoking even if in another room does not affect their kids is in pure denial and completely selfish to boot:mad: And as for those you see smoking in their car with kids in the back, its just unbelievable. I have friends who smoke and their houses, clothes etc and their childrens clothes constantly stink of fags. Their kids often have niggly coughs. But none of this would make them give up smoking or at least go outside the house to smoke. My Dad smoked for years but gave up in the early 80s, as my sister who was 3 at the time was constantly coughing and getting chest infections. Immediately he gave up, my sister was better. I think that says a lot.

Thanks for that, and for totally missing the point of the thread.
Nobody here has said that they smoke in the house or in the car. That is not the question i asked.
We all know that smoking in front of kids is bad for them, but thanks for pointing out the obvious.:mad:

bogtotty

Jumbo156 wrote: »

... a nurse said last night that after a cigarette, the smoke stays on your clothes and on your breath and breathing around children even hours after a fag can cause the problem.
I always thought that it was the smoke itself that causes the problem. Seemingly not...

Slightly off topic, but lots of pregnancy books etc say that if you are going to paint the nursery for the new baby's arrival, you should do so at least 3 months before the baby's birth, as the paint fumes/chemicals can linger for weeks and months after the paint has dried and the smell has dissipated. If paint fumes can continue to affect the respiratory system long after their initial presence, I don't see how cigarette fumes would be any different.


+1 on Alan Carr by the way. I finally quit using the book 4 months before I got pregnant. My other half didn't and was a resolute smoker, but I gave him a session in the Alan Carr clinic for Christmas and he's been clean since then. Amazing what having a kid can do for you!

Rubberlegs

Jumbo156 wrote: »

Thanks for that, and for totally missing the point of the thread.
Nobody here has said that they smoke in the house or in the car. That is not the question i asked.
We all know that smoking in front of kids is bad for them, but thanks for pointing out the obvious.:mad:

The title of the thread was parents who smoke affecting their children's health. Was just giving my opinion on it is all from what I have seen or experienced. I wasn't trying to suggest that any posters were saying they smoked in car or house, think you may have taken me up wrong, I do go off on one a bit when feel strongly about something:p:p. No offence intended....

cynder

Jumbo156 wrote: »

As a smoker I was watching the TV programme last night, Spoilt Rotten.
It was about about Parents spoilling their children and causing health problems in their kids which could be easily avoided.

The one that amazed me was the affect that passive smoking can have on a child's hearing.

From what i read passive smoking causes more ear infections which then can lead to hearing loss.

My brother got ear infection after ear infection (both my parents smoked (even during pregnancy)) he has no hearing loss, however i have had only one or two ear infections and i have mild/moderate hearing loss (my hearing loss is not linked to any ear infections or noise induced it is natural the ent said its just the way i am). My son age 4 has had ear infection after ear infection and neither of us smoke and he is not close to anyone who smokes.

I dont think it can all be blamed on smoking, my daughter had chest infection after chest infection, its just the way she is made, people have their week points my sons being his ears (also my brothers week point and my mothers week point) and my ladys week point being her chest. My week point was my tonsils and that was my dads week point too.


I have no health problems (other than hearing loss) and my parents smoked until i was 9. Again this is yet another topic which i find can be over rated, just like breast feeding OVER RATED.

If you look at new research it says that 5 a day fruit and veg is not any better than 3 a day. They change their minds like they change their socks.

Yes, smoking is bad for your health (along with psssive smoking) but so are a loads of other things, i know smokers that have lived to their 80's, at the end of the day i think its how your built (your genes) that have more of an effect on you, rather than smoking or breast feeding or being breast fed.

Hannibal Smith

Jinxi wrote: »

If you can smell cigarette smoke(breath, room, clothes) then its the smoke you are inhaling. humans do not have that sensitive a nose either.
When you smoke in a house with children in it the smoke disipates in to the air which flows freely into all non-air tight places in the house, including childrens lungs.
Its like a drop of food colouring in the bath. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean its not there. And even one cigarette's smoke is way more than a drop in the house's air capacity

again though, surely that's if you're smoking indoors?

Is it the smell of the cigarette smoke that's the problem? Because surely at that rate you'd lock your child in a bubble and just inject fresh oxygen into it at required intervals. Surely when you bring them for a walk, they're inhaling car fumes and all sorts?

Surely smoking outdoors away from your children can't lead to them having hearing problems?

cynder

bogtotty wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but lots of pregnancy books etc say that if you are going to paint the nursery for the new baby's arrival, you should do so at least 3 months before the baby's birth, as the paint fumes/chemicals can linger for weeks and months after the paint has dried and the smell has dissipated. If paint fumes can continue to affect the respiratory system long after their initial presence, I don't see how cigarette fumes would be any different.

Just to say, my dad spray painted his car at 24 he then had his first asthma attack and was on inhalers until he died 30 years later ( he was a smoker). Just so happens that his brother had asthma since he was a baby and so did his sister, he was going to get it sooner or later he just needed a trigger, the fumes of the paint was his trigger.

My brother got asthma at 26 his trigger was smoking. I only had one asthma attack and that was triggered by a bad cold i was 24 but its there ready to come out again. My other brother grew out of his asthma and his son has bad asthma but now at 8 seems to be growing out of it (neither parent smokes).

Its in the genes, all you need is a trigger.

bogtotty

grindelwald wrote: »

I have no health problems (other than hearing loss) and my parents smoked until i was 9. Again this is yet another topic which i find can be over rated, just like breast feeding OVER RATED.
...

Yes, smoking is bad for your health (along with psssive smoking) but so are a loads of other things, i know smokers that have lived to their 80's, at the end of the day i think its how your built (your genes) that have more of an effect on you, rather than smoking or breast feeding or being breast fed.

86% of deaths from lung cancer are attributable to smoking (International Agency for Cancer Research).

27% of ALL deaths from cancer (in the UK, 2007 - NHS research) were caused by smoking.

It's not just the genes. Smoking is poisonous.

And how can you 'overrate' breastfeeding? It's like overrating breathing or peeing or walking - a perfectly natural bodily function that we are designed to do.

Jinxi

The risk of passivie smoking(and/or breastfeeding for that matter) is overrated in the same way eating healthily, exercise, and wearing your seat belt is overrated!!!
All of these are about lessening the CHANCES of dying prematurely. Surely the idea is to minimise risks. There is absolute scientific PROOF that all of these factors reduce the risk of children getting sick/dying prematurly. Just because you choose to consider them over-rated, more than likey to assuade your guilt, doesn't negate all the research.
Plenty of people(including children) die from cancer. Not all of them come from homes that smoke, or unhealthy families, but a bigger proportion of them do. FACT.
Therefore by smoking around children you increase the chances of them dying prematurely.

Also to the parents who smoke outside the residential home of your children,
1.when you exhale the last breath of smoke, your lungs do not fully exhale all the cigarette smoke. Thats why your breath continues to smell of smoke(this isn't changed by chewing gum). You continue to exhale small amounts of smoke for the following 10 minutes, whic in turn you child breathes.
2. Yes all air has pollutants in it. You don't have control over those pollutants. You have to take responsibility for the ones you are directly exhaling onto your childs lungs.

Thirdly, by your child having knowledge of your smoking habits, this becomes their norm, and you increase the chance(dramatically) that your own child will become a smoker.

cynder

Just because you choose to consider them over-rated, more than likey to assuade your guilt, doesn't negate all the research.


What guilt? I DO NOT SMOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plenty of people(including children) die from cancer. Not all of them come from homes that smoke, or unhealthy families, but a bigger proportion of them do. FACT.

All the kids that die from cancer were all smokers,bull! Out of 15 people i know who had cancer only 1 smoked and it was not smoke related cancer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! of all the smokers i know only 1 has cancer and its not smoke related!!!!!!!!!!!

Thirdly, by your child having knowledge of your smoking habits, this becomes their norm, and you increase the chance(dramatically) that your own child will become a smoker.

Both my parents smoked during pregnancy until the age of 9 (at least 20 a day x 2 parents), im the youngest and out of the 3 of us 2 of us dont smoke....... oh and no health problems with any of us.

im not unique.....

And how can you 'overrate' breastfeeding?
All the health benefits for child and mother are over-rated, I bf for 2.5 years. again im not unique.

It's not just the genes. Smoking is poisonous.
Did i not say its bad for your health, its just over rated......thats why you get loads of smokers living till their 80's and not dead and buried at 50.

There is absolute scientific PROOF that all of these factors reduce the risk of children getting sick/dying prematurly.
Some kids are going to die young regardless. Its not all down to smoking!!!!! also do they say how much its reduced by NO, it might only reduce it by 1% they dont say it reduces it by 70% or 50% or 40%.

Jinxi

Grindelweld, never once did i say that my previous post was directed at you...this one however, is.

Before you rant about your own personal experiences, try to understand, that your own singular experiences do not a scientific fact make.

I clearly said the NOT all people or children that die from cancer come from smoking/unhealthy homes but factually and proportionatly the majority do.
Also, the smoking habit is well documented to be more prevalent in families where role models smoked(in your family 33% of the children smoke).

YOur issues with breastfeeding are well documented on the boards. However, you yourself have admitted that there was a very strong genetic prevalence of asthma in your family.

Breastfeeding reduces the risks of children developing it; its not a miracle cure. I am sorry if you feel it was a waste of your time and energy.

smoking in and around children increases their risk of developing cancer and emphesima and premature death. its a FACT!
And it was not the origional OP's argument that this was debatable. She was just commenting on one of the side affects of passive smoking on children.

cynder

Im just saying in my opinion its over rated. i dont disagree that smoking is bad for ones health im just saying i think its over rated, also i think genes play a strong part in it.

Lucky for me and mine smoking has/had little to no affect on us.

and just to say my issue with breast feeding is only to say its over rated.

Jumbo156

Jinxi wrote: »

And it was not the origional OP's argument that this was debatable. She was just commenting on one of the side affects of passive smoking on children.

She, is in fact, a he

Jinxi

So sorry OP;)

littlebug

kind of OT. I've been marking essays lately. Some of them have been sitting for a few weeks without me looking at them (yes I'm a bad tutor). When I open them I can tell who was smoking when they were writing their essay as the paper still stinks of smoke. It's worse if they've been in a closed plastic pocket but even with the others I can still smell it. It's unbelievable how long it lingers.

LegacyUser

Does anyone know if there are any regulations/guidelines about childcare workers smoking? I know that they are not allowed to smoke in the creche (obviously) but they can smoke while outside on their lunch break, then come back inside with smoke on their breaths and pick up my son who always likes a cuddle after his mid-day nap. He has had ear infection after ear infection in the last few months and moved from the wobbler room to the toddler room a few months ago. One of the workers in the toddler room smokes. Coincidence??
There is a history of asthma in my family and even though he hasn't got it yet I am concerned about a smoker looking after my son. Nobody in our family smokes and any frequent visitors to our house do not smoke. Any thoughts?

Jinxi

Regualtions state that employees must smoke a certain distance from their work(200 feet??). When it comes to childcare best practice, (not law) it would recommend that Early years educators who choose to smoke should not re-enter the child care setting until they no longer smell of smoke.
I would recomend you ask the creche manager what thier policy is on staff smoking(they should have written policies...if it isn't then you may not have your child in a quality creche).
Just a word of warning, before you go guns blazing to the manager, talk to the girl herself and tell her you read about the link between passiv smoking and ear infections, and ask her to avoid your child until at least 10 mins after she has finished a cigarette. If she is your childs key worker, ask her to swap with a non-smoker
Practically, its not a good idea to piss off the person that cares for your child in your absence!

Good luck:cool:

Jumbo156

c-bbm wrote: »

Does anyone know if there are any regulations/guidelines about childcare workers smoking? I know that they are not allowed to smoke in the creche (obviously) but they can smoke while outside on their lunch break, then come back inside with smoke on their breaths and pick up my son who always likes a cuddle after his mid-day nap. He has had ear infection after ear infection in the last few months and moved from the wobbler room to the toddler room a few months ago. One of the workers in the toddler room smokes. Coincidence??
There is a history of asthma in my family and even though he hasn't got it yet I am concerned about a smoker looking after my son. Nobody in our family smokes and any frequent visitors to our house do not smoke. Any thoughts?

I think i started a bit of scare mongering. This is more than likely a coincidence.
Kids in creches are always going to pick up what is going around, irregardless of smoking.
Your kid has been moved from one room to another, with another set of kids and more infections.
We can't wrap our kids up in cotton wool all their lives.
They will get infections in creches, fact of life i am afraid.
And please god if it's only the odd ear infection, you aren't doing too bad.