If you have asthma, it's important not to smoke. Cigarette smoke makes your asthma worse by irritating your airways and causing them to narrow. Smoking also increases the risk of asthma attacks and may permanently damage your airways.
If you're already a nonsmoker, that's great. Unfortunately, it doesn't mean you're home free where smoking is concerned. Inhaling other people's cigarette smoke can also be harmful to people with asthma. This can be a big problem if a member of your family happens to smoke. Also, it can be difficult to tell friends who smoke just how their smoking affects you. But if you have asthma, it's really important to speak up and let people know their smoke is more than just a nuisance to you—it can make your asthma worse, and that is a serious problem.
How to ask people not to smoke around you:
- Tell them your concerns.
- Let them know that being around smoke makes your asthma worse—they probably don't even realize what they're doing to you.
- Ask them to smoke outdoors.
- Encourage them to give up smoking, but remember, smoking is an addiction and quitting can be very difficult.
