Julie's Lesson

So I had to write a report as a biology assignment talking about the negative effects of smoking, and I decided to do a short story.  I just quickly wrote it and typed it up, and after handing it in, figured that I might as well put it on here to see what some people think of it.
Please remember that I haven't taken a lot of time to "polish" it, but reviews/ratings are still welcome and appreciated!  Thanks :)
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         “I’m home, Mom,” Julie called as she burst in the door.
         “Hi, sweetie, how was your day?” her mother replied.
         “It was good, Mom.  I learned lots of stuff in science today.”
         “Well, put your things away, and then you can tell me about it while you have your snack.”  Julie raced up the stairs to drop her school bag on her bed, then went to the kitchen.  Meanwhile, her mother had set out a plate of cookies for her daughter, and had lit a cigarette for herself.  “So what did you learn about today?” she asked with interest.
         Julie took a bite of her cookie, and began telling her mother her story, “Well, Mrs. Williams told us a lot about smoking today, and the bad things it can do to your body.”
         “Oh?” her mother asked, guiltily regarding her cigarette before returning her attention to her daughter.
         “Yeah, she said that smoking – even a little bit – is really bad for you.  She said that there’s this stuff in cigarettes called neeko… ummm… niko…”
         “Nicotine.”
         “Yeah, that stuff, and it makes peoples’ heart rates faster.  That means that their hearts beat faster and can get tired and worn out sooner.  And there’s these hairy things called, ummm, cilia – yeah that’s it – that are in your windpipe – that’s what you breathe through.  They are supposed to help get germs out of your body, but if you smoke then they can die, and that makes it easier for germs to get in your body.  That’s why smokers can get sick easier, and they sometimes get lung cancer and other bad stuff.  Oh, and there’s this “tar” stuff in cigarettes that stick to peoples’ insides and make it tougher for their body to get enough oxygen from the air that they breathe, so they can’t play and stuff as much anymore.”  Having shared her new wealth of knowledge, Julie proceeded to eat her snack while her mother watched her, shocked at the information that her own young daughter had just given her.
         Eventually, she managed to speak, “It doesn’t sound very nice, does it?”
         “Nope, it sure doesn’t.  Mommy, why do you smoke?”
         “I don’t really know, honey,” she replied painfully.
         “Are you addicted to smoking?  Mrs. Williams said that the nicotine stuff can make people addicted.  That means they feel like they need to smoke.  Isn’t that horrible, Mom?”
         “Yes, it really is.”
         “And you know what else Mrs. Williams told us, Mom?  She said that even if somebody doesn’t smoke, some of that bad stuff can happen to them, too, if the are around somebody who smokes a lot.  That’s because they are still breathing in the bad chemicals and stuff.  It’s called second-hand smoke.  I guess that means I get second-hand smoke, doesn’t it?”
         Her mother heaved a sad sigh before she answered, “Yes, I guess you’re right,” she studied her daughter for another moment, and a powerful wave of resolve came over her.  “Julie, do you think I should quit smoking?”
         “Yeah, I think you should, but can you, if you’re addicted?”
         “I can try,” her mother replied firmly, “I will try.”