Michael1942's Blog

Years ago when I was younger (many decades), the most common line to young wannabe smokers was , “smoking will stunt your growth”. The truth is the growth part has more to do with the mother smoking and being around second-hand smoke. This still has implications altered by the genetics of the parents. So smoking after you have gained most or all of your adult growth has no effect in your final height. What it has to do with is your lifetime health. As we all have heard and will continue to hear will be the effects of actually smoking, second-hand smoke,etc. Think about the cost of smoking on families having lost a loved one due to a lifetime of smoking and breathing second-hand smoke not to mention the cost of smoking products and the oral types of tobacco. Smoking is a bad habit that goes beyond the smoker and their health, it includes families, friends and relatives. So smoking does not directly stunt your growth but it certainly is not healthy.