Health


DON’T Start!


A NEW SPIN ON A SERIOUS CONCERN


By Laura Searcy, MN, APRN, PPCNP-BC


smoking cigarettes or dealing with the newer phenomenon of vaping, but it’s a necessary conversation. According to the Centers for Disease Control


M


and Prevention (CDC), tobacco is the single largest preventable cause of death and disease in the U.S. Cigarette smoking kills more than 480,000


Americans annually. Besides causing cancer, smoking harms nearly every organ in the body and greatly increases the risk of developing heart disease, stroke and emphysema. Smoking while pregnant increases the risk of prematu- rity, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Secondhand smoke causes increased risk


of heart disease, stroke and cancer. Children exposed to secondhand smoke have more ear infections, frequent and severe asthma attacks and respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. The rate of teen smoking has been declining


steadily, thanks to strong anti-smoking cam- paigns and government regulations that restrict sales and marketing to youth. The bad news is that over the last few years, the electronic cigarette and other electronic vaping devices have taken the young adult world by storm. The regulations that require warning


84 www.readysetgrowmag.com


any parents and caregivers feel at a loss when it comes to talking to their kids about


ISTOCK.COM


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100