PregnantJosie Cunningham is vowing to kick her heavy smoking habit – with a bit of help from the NHS.
The wannabe glamour model has already had a £4,800 breast enlargement, £1,500 of Botox injections to treat excessive sweating and £2,500 of dental treatment – all funded by NHS.
Josie Cunningham had a £4,800 breast enlargement operation on the NHS
The 23-year-old is expecting her third child in two months time but is still smoking a packet of cigarettes a day.
She told The Sun: “It’s not illegal for me to smoke while pregnant. I’m no different to most pregnant women.
“I’m just honest about it. I was smoking 40 a day. Now I’ve cut down to 20.
“I’m aware of the dangers of smoking during pregnancy. I’m hoping my doctor will be able to help me get off the fags.
“But the public will probably whinge about funding that as well.”
Earlier this year Cunningham announced her intention to have an abortion to increase her chances of appearing on Celebrity Big Brother, but has since said she will keep the child.
Online NHS literature states: “Every cigarette you smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, so smoking when you are pregnant harms your unborn baby.
“Cigarettes can restrict the essential oxygen supply to your baby, so their heart has to beat harder every time you smoke.”
It states children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from asthma and other more serious illnesses that may need hospital treatment.
It adds: “The sooner you stop smoking, the better. But even if you stop in the last few weeks of your pregnancy, this will benefit you and your baby.”