Their kids don't know. Often their friends don't know. Sometimes even their husbands don't know: These are, as the Cut puts it, "the moms who smoke in secret." Emily Gould spoke to a number of mothers who smoke or vape (or, in one case, chew nicotine gum), most of whom are insistent their kids not find out. "He says, 'You should just tell them your story because it's relatable. Don't start smoking when you're 14 because you'll be 48 and not able to quit,'" says one woman of her husband, who thinks she should spill her secret habit to their kids. But she doesn't want the kids to take it as tacit permission to take up the habit themselves. Because, as Gould and multiple mothers she spoke to point out, nicotine is, of course, not good for you.
So why do they continue to use it? Their reasons range from it "feels f---ing great" and is "so much fun," to "it is a little piece of resistance" or "rebellion," to the simple fact that it's a substance that allows you to use it while still remaining present and capable to take care of your kids. And do they plan to quit? In most cases, no. Gould, whose kids know about her nicotine habit, explained it to her 8-year-old like so: "Everyone is addicted to something. I'm addicted to vaping. You're addicted to playing Roblox. I'm an adult and responsible for what I do with my body, and when you are an adult, you can make your own decisions." Read her full, fascinating piece here. (More smoking stories.)
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