Smoking....Filthy Habit or Deadly Disease?

What are you teaching your child about smoking? Most every parent out there will teach a child to stay away from tobacco and its by-products. Yet, according to the statistics of the Center For Disease Control And Prevention, smoking is a disease that permeates all levels of society, all age groups, and both genders. Some of their figures (1) are quite alarming:

1. 46.5 million adults in the United States smoke cigarettes
2. This action will result in death or disability for half of all regular smokers
3. Cigarette smoking is responsible for ca. 440,000 deaths per year, (1 in every 5 deaths)
Smoking is known to cause chronic lung disease, heart disease, and stroke, as well as cancer of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, mouth, and bladder
4. Smoking contributes to cancer of the cervix, pancreas, and kidneys
5. Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have babies who have an increased risk of death from SIDS and respiratory distress
6. Secondhand smoke has harmful effects on nonsmokers
7. Each year, an estimated 3,000 nonsmoking Americans die of lung cancer
8. Each year, up to 300,000 children suffer from respiratory tract infections because of exposure to secondhand smoke

The figures are frightening and conclusive: Smoking is a voluntary behavior that causes many who practice it to die slow, horrible deaths, while at the same time quite possibly sentencing those who are in continuous, close contact with them to the same or a similar fate. Sadly, many a parent seeks to alarm the child in her/his care about the dangers of smoking, yet does so with a cigarette dangling from that parental mouth. To help those who are stuck in this paradox of hypocrisy, here are some pet-excuses hardened smokers may encounter when trying to overcome their addiction:

But...I only smoke a little bit...

Smoking itself is not a part-time affair; on the contrary! It enslaves us physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually on a full-time basis. Considering that tobacco is a highly addictive substance, even "recreational" use can lead to our being enslaved by it. Once on this slippery slope, tobacco will become more and more important to us than the child's wide-eyed innocence or God Himself. The only antidote is to quit this part-time dabbling and stop.

But...XYZ smoke, overeat, drink, and yell at people...give it a break already!

A parent is the number one role model to a child. For this reason, s/he must live a life worthy of an example. Being a "parent" smoker, just like being a "parent" drunk, says that it is not our understanding of right and wrong that controls our lives but that instead, we are being controlled by the desires of our addictions.

But...so what if smoking is bad? It's my body...

Christians are exhorted to view their bodies as temples of God. Treating our bodies with disrespect, shows the same disrespect to our bodies' maker. Clearly, the statistics previously cited very clearly show that smoking adversely affect nearly each organic system within our bodies; this damage will lead for many to death. As parents, we would not wish our children to harm their bodies with substances that may eventually kill them. Turning the tables, I often wonder if our children would want us to play hard and fast with our lives and health either. After all, they do depend on us .. and they do want us around for College graduation!

Living as a parent means that we must consider our children more important than ourselves, considering their needs first and foremost, and seeking to provide them with a safe and healthy environment. It is impossible to live out this calling if we force our families to endure the fallout of our addiction. Never mind the smell, yellowing of the wallpaper and curtains, and constant dirt; what is much more damaging are the health risks, especially to children. Families are called to love each other, and doing so implies that we should not knowingly harm another person. Yet, when we smoke, we slowly do just that.

So...what are you saying?

Don't become a statistic!

Don't force those closest to you to become statistics!

Don't disrespect your child.

Don't set a bad example to your child.

Don't kill yourself.

Get help! Maybe your church offers a Smoking Cessation group; if not, start one. Talk to your doctor. There are medications that can help you get past the physical aspect of withdrawal. Deepen your spiritual life.

Be informed: there are a number of Online resources to help anyone willing to quit.(2) Oh yes, and be willing to quit.

Resources:

The Center for Disease Control on Smoking

Tobacco Cessation Guidelines

U. S. National Library of Medicine

The American Lung Association