The other day, a reader e-mailed, complaining that the way physicians and journalists go about discussing the harmful effects of smoking borders on either of two things: harassment of the smoker or psychological warfare that is meant to make the smoker jittery.
It was unprecedented, considering that it
is common knowledge that smoking has never been known to benefit the
body. Rather, based on decades of scientific researches and clinical
observations, the conclusion has been unanimous: smoking is bad for your
health.
However, if, as a smoker, you have
managed to stay crisis-free, health-wise, physicians are now warning
that you can determine the health status of your unborn child, not for
good, but for bad.
Indeed, physicians are warning that it is
not just the pregnant mother that should avoid smoking, even men are
being counselled — and strongly, too — to stop smoking at least six
months before they start raising a family!
