Parents who smoke and have children with asthma are more likely to quit smoking after having counseling or witnessing what is called a “teachable moment” (TM). A TM could be something like an asthma attack or another severe health side effect. These findings come from a study published in the journal Addiction.

Researchers on the study analyzed data from smoking parents with and without children with asthma. They found that the smoking parents with children with asthma that witnessed a TM were more likely to quit smoking than the smoking parents with healthy children. The smoking parents with children with asthma were also more likely to quit smoking after counseling sessions that the parents with healthy children. The children of the parents that quit smoking were less likely to hospitalized or miss school due to their asthma.

These counseling sessions and interventions can have a high impact and raise the quality of life for both the parents and the children. These sessions should continue to be developed.