An Open Letter
Dear Smokers,
I want you to know that when you stand right outside a door and light up, I have to walk through that smoke. It is gross to me. I get that it is outdoors and you think it is your right, but what about my rights? I want to be out in public and not have to breath in cancerous fumes. I get that the limited exposure I get from walking through your smoke would not be enough to link any cancer I got to what you are doing, but it doesn't make it okay. As the CDC says on their website, "There is no risk-free level of exposure to second hand smoke".
I care about the world I live in and the world my kids are going to live it. When you litter your butt in a parking lot, or on a walking trail, you are wrecking the world I live in. I'm sure most of you who do this would think it poor to litter other sorts of garbage, yet you litter your cigarette butt. If those butts are too gross to leave in your car, or store in your pocket, don't smoke places where you don't have access to a garbage. In fact, I would prefer that you didn't smoke in public, period.
Those of you who smoke with children in your homes or in your vehicles, I think that is a form of child abuse. You are knowingly putting your child at risk. And if you are reading this and telling yourself, "I didn't know," I think you are a liar. Kids who are around 2nd hand and 3rd hand smoke (in clothes, furniture, etc.) are more likely to have asthma, ear infections and to have lower test scores in math, reading, and logic. Babies who are around second hand smoke can have an even greater risk. There are 180-270 SID cases per year in Canada that are directly linked to second hand smoke. You could actually kill your baby by smoking around them. If that isn't abuse, I don't know what is. (Information from the Canadian Lung Association)
Lastly, to the pregnant woman I saw smoking outside the pool 3 years ago. What you were doing to your unborn baby still haunts me. It was all I could do not to say something to you that day. I wanted to tell you were a bad mom, but in this day and age of judging or not judging others, I tried to tell myself that I couldn't possibly know all that was going on in your world, so I shouldn't judge. But the truth is, I did judge and I am still judging, because I can't for the life of me think of a reason to purposely put my child at risk for anything, let alone death. I lost a child. It is the worst. You were doing something that could cause your child's death and it was a choice.
If you want to kill yourself, I wish you wouldn't, but it is out of my hands. I just really wish that you would be more respectful of myself, my kids and the world we live in when you make the choice to smoke in a public place. Most importantly, I want you to consider those around you that can't make a choice. Your kids and grandkids. You are killing them. Choose differently for them.
Jordan Marie Hamilton
I want you to know that when you stand right outside a door and light up, I have to walk through that smoke. It is gross to me. I get that it is outdoors and you think it is your right, but what about my rights? I want to be out in public and not have to breath in cancerous fumes. I get that the limited exposure I get from walking through your smoke would not be enough to link any cancer I got to what you are doing, but it doesn't make it okay. As the CDC says on their website, "There is no risk-free level of exposure to second hand smoke".
I care about the world I live in and the world my kids are going to live it. When you litter your butt in a parking lot, or on a walking trail, you are wrecking the world I live in. I'm sure most of you who do this would think it poor to litter other sorts of garbage, yet you litter your cigarette butt. If those butts are too gross to leave in your car, or store in your pocket, don't smoke places where you don't have access to a garbage. In fact, I would prefer that you didn't smoke in public, period.
Those of you who smoke with children in your homes or in your vehicles, I think that is a form of child abuse. You are knowingly putting your child at risk. And if you are reading this and telling yourself, "I didn't know," I think you are a liar. Kids who are around 2nd hand and 3rd hand smoke (in clothes, furniture, etc.) are more likely to have asthma, ear infections and to have lower test scores in math, reading, and logic. Babies who are around second hand smoke can have an even greater risk. There are 180-270 SID cases per year in Canada that are directly linked to second hand smoke. You could actually kill your baby by smoking around them. If that isn't abuse, I don't know what is. (Information from the Canadian Lung Association)
Lastly, to the pregnant woman I saw smoking outside the pool 3 years ago. What you were doing to your unborn baby still haunts me. It was all I could do not to say something to you that day. I wanted to tell you were a bad mom, but in this day and age of judging or not judging others, I tried to tell myself that I couldn't possibly know all that was going on in your world, so I shouldn't judge. But the truth is, I did judge and I am still judging, because I can't for the life of me think of a reason to purposely put my child at risk for anything, let alone death. I lost a child. It is the worst. You were doing something that could cause your child's death and it was a choice.
If you want to kill yourself, I wish you wouldn't, but it is out of my hands. I just really wish that you would be more respectful of myself, my kids and the world we live in when you make the choice to smoke in a public place. Most importantly, I want you to consider those around you that can't make a choice. Your kids and grandkids. You are killing them. Choose differently for them.
Jordan Marie Hamilton
Amen
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Cigarette smoke is one of the worst smells on the planet. I don't know why anyone would choose to smoke while pregnant - we have way too much information now to make that okay.
ReplyDeleteI used to smoke and even when i did the smell grossed me out! Thankfully, as of May 25 I'll be smoke free 6 years!!!
ReplyDelete