Advertisement
I bring this subject to the public’s attention because of an incident that occurred a couple of weeks ago. My children and I were playing at a local park. There were many other families there as well, enjoying the nice weather. A parent was smoking and watching her child play.
I was bothered by the fact she was smoking around so many children. Although she may not have realized it, the secondhand smoke that was given off from her cigarette affected everyone’s health that day.
The effects that can occur when inhaling secondhand cigarette smoke can be fatal for some individuals. Secondhand cigarette smoke can cause exacerbations for people who suffer from asthma or any other lung disease.
I am a registered respiratory therapist, Viterbo University nursing student and, more importantly, a mother. I see firsthand the effects smoking can have on people. I have noticed an increase in young children who are admitted to the hospital because
of asthma exacerbations. I watch hospitalized children, gasp for air and suffer intravenous steroid treatments and respiratory treatments to get them back to their healthy baseline.
There is nothing more disturbing than to watch someone fight for their life because of an exacerbation that occurred from secondhand smoke.
The Tribune encourages letters to the editor on current issues. Please limit letters to 250 words or less.
We reserve the right to edit all letters and require that all letters include the name, address and phone number of the writer for verification purposes.
Letter writers will be limited to no more than one letter a month. Please do not send poetry, or items taken from other publication or from the Internet.
Send letters to the editor to letters@lacrossetribune.com.
