Why smoking and children don`t mix

How one mum discovered the dangers of second hand smoke

When Liz McGillivray was pregnant in 1987, there was enough medical evidence around to know that smoking while expecting a baby was not a good idea. 

At that time, it was just considered to be ‘bad for the baby’. We now have the evidence that smoking while pregnant increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and respiratory illnesses. So Liz gave up, but the pressures and fatigue of life as a young mum meant she started smoking again about a year after her son was born. What she didn’t know then was the effect that smoking in the house was having on her child. By the time her son was three, he had developed asthma and Liz still asks herself today whether her smoking caused the illness. 

Second hand smoke is dangerous for everyone but especially for children, whose bodies are still developing. Cot death is twice as likely to occur in babies whose mothers smoke and there is an increased risk of meningitis and middle ear disease, which can cause deafness. Breathing in other people’s second hand smoke means taking in 4,000 different toxic chemicals(including arsenic) and can damage almost every organ in the body, increasing the risk of lung cancer and heart disease by a quarter. Smoking in a different room from a child or a pregnant woman is not much good when smoke can linger for two and a half hours, long after you can see or smell it. So keeping your home and car completely smoke free is the only way to guarantee your children’s safety.

“Cot death is twice as likely to occur in babies whose mothers smoke and there is an increased risk of meningitis and middle ear disease, which can cause deafness.”

The good news is that, 20years later, Liz McGillivray seems to have finally cracked it. After numerous attempts to give up, she contacted her GP last November after becoming concerned that a really bad cold could develop into pneumonia. Her doctor put her in touch with the Cumbria Stop Smoking Service and, within days, she had an appointment to see a stop smoking advisor. 

“I was really sceptical at first,” says the 54 year old from Ulverston. “I’d tried nicotine patches and gum in the past but didn’t like either. I’d also been to a cessation clinic about six years before, but found it very preachy. “But my new advisor was different. She asked what made me want to smoke and why I wanted to give up. As well as health, there was also wealth as I’d worked out I was spending over £2,000 a year on cigarettes. ”Stop smoking advisors work with clients to put in place an action plan, which might include nicotine replacement products – or other practical support which help the quitter to achieve their goal. Liz’s stop smoking advisor Sally Woods says the key to her success was that she was ready to quit, she had a plan and she stuck to it. “It’s all about motivation. People have to genuinely want to stop for themselves. 

Smoking is the core of a lot of people’s lives, so when they stop they feel like there’s a hole there. You have to be ready to fill the hole with other things.” As well as the one-to-one sessions Liz opted for, people can also have group sessions with friends, family or even colleagues, as the service will go into people’s workplaces.

For confidential, free advice and support contact Cumbria Stop Smoking Service on 01900 324 222.

Health counts smoking facts

1. 46% of teenagers whose parents smoke say they worry more about their parents smoking than anything else, including money, bullying and their parents divorcing.

2. You are four times more likely to stop smoking if you use the stop smoking service than trying it alone.