There is nothing wrong with this, but if a smoker hears the same facts over and over again, they starts to lose their impact. More emphasis should be put on the effect that smoking has on the family, especially after it has caused a premature death.

As a smoker, you will be the one to suffer the physical consequences, the aches, the pains, the not being able to breathe, the cancer and then soon after - death. You suffer for a little while and then it’s all over, nothing, no pain ever again.

But what about your family, does their pain now stop now that your gone? No, it doesn’t, they will suffer from the emotional pain for the rest of their lives. As a smoker you need to realise that quitting smoking is not just about you, it’s about your family too.

“We are all going to die sometime.” It’s an excuse I have a heard all too often from smokers when trying to justify their habit. I have never understood this. Yes we are all going to die sometime, but does that mean we should do things that bring death closer?

That day may seem far away from now, but it will be upon you before you know it.

I had an Uncle who used this saying. I say used to, because he is dead now. He died from cancer, brought on by smoking a few years back.

He died at age 64, which may seem like a good run to some. But I tell you to us, his family, it is premature. We should have had at least another 10 years of my uncle in our lives.

My family went through so much pain in that final year of his life. We had to watch him slip away from us. But can you imagine how hard it was for him? He had to lie there knowing he was causing so much emotional pain for his family and he could have prevented it all, if he had just quit years before.

One year later my family is still feeling the emotional toll from his death. My Aunty will not bury or scatter his ashes because when she dies she wants her ashes to be put with his. That is how much she loves and misses my uncle.

Do you want to suffer and have regrets on your deathbed?

Do you want your family to go through the lifelong emotional pain that your premature death will cause?

Of course you don’t, then why don’t you use these as motivation to quit. If you can’t quit smoking for you then do it for your family, they deserve to have you in their lives for as long as possible.

Sidestream smoke: Smoke that comes directly from the tobacco product (cigarette, cigar, pipe etc).

Mainstream smoke: Smoke that has been breathed out by the smoker.

Second hand smoke contains over 4000 chemicals and poisons, and is just as dangerous to human health as the smoke that is breathed in directly by a smoker. Every day millions of people around the world are exposed to other people’s tobacco smoke.

Out of these millions, the ones that suck in the most of this poisonous air are sadly, the families of the smoker. These are people that the smokers love the most in the world, the people that they are supposed to cherish and protect. Yet everyday smokers endanger the health and even the lives of their loved ones.

Let’s have a look at some of the more common problems that the families of smokers have from frequently breathing in other family members second hand smoke.

A non-smoking partner of a smoker has a 30% increased chance of developing lung disease and a 20% increased chance of developing lung cancer.

Other common health problems include nasal sinus cancer, stroke and a weakened immune system (which can lead to number of illnesses). Breathing problems are very common and include constant coughing, asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia.

The infants and children of smoking parents are particularly susceptible to the effects of second hand smoke. Their bodies are still developing and cannot handle the pressure of dealing with all the toxins and poisons. The chances of an infant dying from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) quadruples in a smoking household.

Other common health problems include ear infections, bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma. Second hand smoke has even been linked to behavioural and learning difficulties in children.

There are other family members who are often overlooked when it comes to the dangers of second hand smoke, the family pets.

Cancer of the lungs and nasal cavities are frequently found in dogs who live in a smoking home. Cats show a high rate of oral cancers because they are constantly licking the carcinogens from tobacco smoke that build up in their fur. Birds show many problems including lung cancer and pneumonia as well as problems with their eyes, skin, heart and reproductive organs.

It is common for pets living in a smoking home to suffer from tobacco poisoning because they have eaten tobacco products left lying around.

The above afflictions I have mentioned are but a few examples from a very long list of problems associated with second hand smoke. I used to smoke and I hate to admit this but I honestly didnt care if my family members breathed in my second hand smoke.

I consider myself a considerate person, but when I wanted a cigarette all consideration for my loved ones went out the window. Why? Because my addiction to tobacco was at such a level that thinking about others just wasn’t a priority. I wanted a cigarette and nothing, not even the well being of my family was going to stop me.

It wasn’t until I was free from smoking that I realised just how selfish I was being.

We are supposed to protect our families from the evil and harms of the world, not bring it into their lives on a daily basis. How will you feel standing over the hospital bed of a loved one or even worse attending their funeral when it was your smoking habit that did this to them?

If you never think about this than maybe you should start, it may be all the motivation you need to quit.

Well the truth may actually shock you. You can actually salvage a lot of the damage you have done, as long as you quit smoking nicotine now.

• 20 minutes after you quit nicotine, your heart rate slows and your blood pressure returns to normal..
• The carbon monoxide in your blood have dropped to a normal level with an eight to 12 hours. The fatigue, headaches, nausea, sleeplessness and flu-like symptoms caused by carbon monoxide in the blood will start to diminish.
• Your lungs will start to evict mucus within 24 hours and get rid of smoking nicotine buildup.
• Your sense of smell and taste will start to return within two days. Your risk of having a heart attack is lower in over the next three months will continue to improve.
• Just three days later you will have more energy as your bronchial tubes relax.
• Within just the first month your smokers cough will decline because your bronchial tubes are on the mend. Cigarettes irritate the bronchial tubes, so they produce excess mucus. you can say good-bye to that hacking smokers cough.
• Within just one year you half the danger of coronary heart disease you risked developing as a smoker. as smoking increases your heart rate, it is consistent and no longer on the roller coaster it was on every time you smoked a cigarette. You are no longer in danger of a heart attack every time you light up.
• Five years smoke-free and you have the same chance of having a stroke as a non-smoker.
• After 10 years your lungs a stronger and your chances of lung cancer are only half as great as cigarettes were still a part of your life.
• 15 years smoke-free and you have the same chance of having a heart attack as a non-smoker.

So as you can see, the sooner you quit smoking nicotine, the better your chances of of healing the damage you have done.

We should quit smoking, well duh…

We realise quitting is not about the reasons you should stop smoking, otherwise this would be enough.

While some facts will shock you (sign up to my weekly newsletter to find out 20 shocking smoking facts), these usually aren’t enough to stop someone completely.

I understand, because I’ve been there.

So I started this blog to give you real life tips and ideas on quitting smoking. Tips and advice that work. I know, because I smoked for 15 years before I quit using these very methods.

I hope they will be of use to you too.

If you like anything in particular or have anything to add, please feel free to comment. I would love to hear your views.

Till next time, happy quitting!