Women who smoke during pregnancy have been shown to put both themselves and the fetus at risk for a number of health problems. However, a study in the journal The FASEB highlights the negative effect of smoking on the health of children whose fathers smoked regularly around the time of their conception. The mutagenic effect of cigarette smoke on men’s DNA has been found to cause many of them to pass on damaged genes that predispose them to serious diseases. A study by a team from the University of Bradford, England, found a strict link between sperm DNA mutations seen in male smokers and the same mutations in the DNA of their children. According to scientists, most human cancers develop as a result of genetic malformations. Thus, smoking in men becomes a major risk factor for inheriting such malformations. Especially in cases where the man is an active smoker during the period when he and his partner are working on conceiving an heir. In the course of their research, the scientists use special highly sensitive biomarkers that show that the damaged genes inherited by newborns were received precisely from the father. Filtering the results showed that the highest risk of passing on damaged genes to the offspring was in men who were active smokers at the time of their child’s conception. In this regard, English scientists make a very useful clarification. NEWS_MORE_BOX Mature and healthy spermatozoa are formed as a result of a continuous process of spermatogenesis, occurring practically continuously after the male reaches puberty. The formation of a group of viable sperm occurs over a period of about 3 months. This requires every man who plans to start a family with his partner to abstain from smoking for a period of at least 3 months beforehand. This will reduce the risk of occurrence and transmission in the generation of dangerous mutations in DNA provoked by the toxins in cigarette smoke. In conclusion, the scientists who conducted the study found how important it is to raise awareness about the risks of smoking not only among pregnant women, but also among men, and especially in the period preceding the acquisition of an heir.