Few people realise how delicate lungs are, and once damaged they seldom recover. So while we lavish care on other parts of our bodies, we seldom think of the importance of ensuring that the lungs of our children, or those in our care, are protected from harm.
Cigarette smoke is especially damaging. Many smokers believe they protect their children by smoking only when not in their presence. But the evidence tells a different story. It is estimated that 17,000 children are hospitalised each year as a result of passive smoking.
This huge number of children go through the trauma of hospital treatment because someone has subjected them to second-hand smoke. Cigarette smoke contains a large number of substances that can cause irreversible damage to the lungs, leading to respiratory disease.
If you asked any parent whether they would leave their child in a poisonous atmosphere, they would say no. Yet 42 per cent of children live in a house with a least one smoker.
The British Lung Foundation is acutely aware of the difficulties for parents of children with lung disease. To see a child struggling for breath and coughing is frightening. Because we know how difficult it is to give up smoking, we have started a special helpline for parents wanting to talk through these issues.
Please inform the parents of children in your care that if they ring our helpline, they can talk to a paediatric respiratory nurse or a parent counsellor who can discuss the difficult issues connected with having a child who has breathing difficulties. We are there to help them.
Surely protecting children's health should be the single most motivating factor in trying to give up smoking - parents won't be just helping themselves, they will be doing their offspring the biggest favour too.
The helpline is: 08458 50 50 20 and the British Lung Foundation website is: www.lunguk.org.
