Steps To A Better Life

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

parent smokes, young people are also more likely to start smoking. Smoking during pregnancy can cause serious health problems to an unborn child. Smoking during pregnancy accounts for an estimated 20 - 30% of low birth weight babies, up to 14% of pre-term deliveries and 10% of all infant deaths! If all women quit smoking during pregnancy, about 4,000 new babies would live each year. Pregnant women who smoke or are exposed to second hand smoke pass three carcinogens to their fetuses: Benzo (a) pyrene which causes lung and skin cancer; (b) p-aminobiphenyl, which causes bladder cancer; and (c) acrylonitrile, which causes liver cancer. Levels of the chemicals were 4-5 times higher in passive smokers' babies and 10-12 times higher in the active smokers' babies than in nonsmokers babies. There is a financial cost for smokers and nonsmokers alike. Most smokers are well aware of the cost, but to be clear: one pack per day = $1040 a year, two packs per day = $2080 a year, etc. A less known ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

CITE THIS PAGE: