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Myth: I only smoke light cigarettes, so it’s not as bad...

FACT

Smokers who switch to ‘light’ or ‘mild’ brands end up compensating for lower levels of tar and nicotine by inhaling smoke more deeply or by smoking more of each cigarette. If you smoke light cigarettes, you will still be putting harmful chemicals into your body.

Myth: I'm pregnant and have been smoking, so there is no point in stopping now.

FACT

Quitting smoking at any stage of your pregnancy has health benefits for you and your baby. Even after just one day of not smoking, your baby will get more oxygen. This will help your baby’s lungs develop well. Quitting now also lowers your chances of having a baby with low birth weight.

Myth: Quitting smoking will be too stressful on my baby.

FACT

Quitting smoking doesn’t put extra stress on your baby. It’s one of the best things that you can do for your health and your baby’s health during pregnancy—and after the baby is born. By quitting smoking now, you will be protecting your infant from the dangers of secondhand smoke and reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. 

Myth: Smoking fewer cigarettes during pregnancy is OK.

FACT

There is no safe amount of smoking. Every puff of a cigarette releases harmful chemicals that will reach your baby and affect your health too. 

E-cigarettes are also not harmless as they do contain some toxins, but at far lower levels than found in tobacco smoke. If you are pregnant and smoking cigarettes choosing to vape instead may help you to quit smoking and stay smoke free, 

Myth: Smoking relaxes me, and being relaxed is better for me and my baby.

FACT

Smoking may make you feel calmer, but it hurts your body more than it helps. The relaxed feeling is only temporary and whatever is causing your stress will likely return. Smoking speeds up your heart rate and increases your blood pressure. It also increases the carbon monoxide in your bloodstream, which means your baby gets less oxygen. 

Myth: There is nothing wrong with having a small baby.

FACT

Smoking during pregnancy increases the chances of having a low birth weight baby. Babies with low birth weight are more likely to have serious health problems than normal weight babies. These problems can affect your baby’s health now, throughout their childhood, and into adulthood. 

Myth: I smoked during my last pregnancy and had a healthy baby, so this next baby will be healthy too.

FACT

Every time you smoke during pregnancy, you put your baby’s health at risk. If you smoked and had a healthy pregnancy in the past that does not mean your next one will be healthy, too.

Myth: Using hookah pipes (hubbly bubbly) is less harmful than cigarette smoking.

FACT

Water pipe smokers, and secondhand smokers exposed to them, are at risk of the same kinds of diseases that are caused by cigarette smoking, including cancer, heart and respiratory diseases, as well as adverse effects during pregnancy.

A World Health Organisation study has suggested that during 1 session on a water pipe (around 20 to 80 minutes), a person can inhale the same amount of smoke as a cigarette smoker consuming 100 or more cigarettes.