Tips for Smoking Parents: If Your Child Eats a Cigarette, What Do You Do?

The other day when my two year old came toddling up holding one of my clove cigarettes in his hand. He was about to take a big bite out of it, and naturally I freaked out and grabbed it out of his hand. The whole episode had me pretty shaken, and I realized I had no idea what to do if he actually HAD eaten a cigarette. It also got me thinking about what other safety precautions I should take as a smoker with a child.

Obviously number one on the list is making sure to keep the cigarettes in a secure place where your child absolutely cannot get a hold of them. In your purse, or even in the closet is not enough (as I learned). Young children are very curious, and older children are prone to temptation, so keeping the cigarettes out of their little hands is going to take some effort. A locked drawer is not a bad idea.

In the event that your child eats a cigarette, gets into your nicotine patches, or chews your nicotine gum you need to act immediately. Nicotine is a deadly poison. Symptoms of nicotine ingestion include abdominal cramps, agitation, breathing becomes rapid or stops, drooling, coma, convulsions, fainting, vomiting, and raising heartbeat.

If your child has any of these symptoms and there is a possibility that they have gotten into some nicotine- call 911 immediately! If the child has applied a nicotine patch to their skin, wash with soap for 15 minutes while you wait for the ambulance. You may also wish to call the National Poison Control Hotline at 1-800-222-1222.

When you call 911 they will need to know age and weight of the child, what they have consumed, when it happened, and how much was swallowed. When they are in the emergency room your child may receive medicine to treat the symptoms, activated charcoal (used to absorb toxic substances in the stomach), or they may have to have their stomach pumped. Although nicotine is lethal, if the initial consumption is dealt with, there are no long-term effects.

Another thing I found out is that cigarette smoke (including second hand smoke) depletes vitamins in the body. So it's a good idea to give your child (and yourself) a vitamin supplement with lots of antioxidants (Vitamins C, E, and A). Also make sure they drink plenty of water to help the body eliminate toxins.

Something that I came across is the importance of washing hands after smoking. If you are preparing food, or touching your children on the face or hands, you will transfer toxins if you don't wash up.

Of course there is the ever-popular reminder to crack a window if you smoke in the car, and to smoke outside rather than in your house. If smoking outside is just not possible, something you can do is limit your smoking to one room and set up an air filter. It's not as good as smoking outside, but its better than just filling the house with smoke.