Childhood abuse leads to smoking. Children who are physically or sexually abused have much greater chances of smoking within one year of the abuse. It is seen as a coping mechanism for these children who just want life to return to normal. 80% of smokers start before they are 18 years old, and even casual smoking can lead to heavier smoking later on in life.

I see a few things from this. First, it is important for children who are abused to have access to professional help to get over it - I am sure that smoking is not the only issue they face in trying to reconcile themselves with the trauma they experienced. Secondly, I am not quite sure I buy this as an “excuse” for smokers. To smoke or not is a choice that people make. It is still legal, so people have the right to do so. Let’s not blame childhood instances on this. People should take responsibility for their actions.

What to take when you are pregnant and sick. With flu season in full swing, pregnant women who get sick often wonder what they can safely take get some relief. With each of my three pregnancies I ended up with a doozie of a cold, each time inconveniently towards the end of my first trimester when I was concerned with taking any medicines at all. With my third pregnancy, I found www.safefetus.com, a great site that explains the risks to nearly any drug out there. It is easy to use, you can search by generic or brand names. I even used the site to double check medicines that my doctors prescribed, just in case…