What Every Mom Needs to Know About Secondhand Smoke…

Free, Make Your Childs World Smoke-Free Brochures Now Available from TFL

May 8, 2006, Baton Rouge—One out of every two children in Louisiana live with secondhand smoke in their homes every day. Make Your Childs World Smoke-Free, a free 15-page guide to creating smoke-free environments for kids, is available at www.mytfl.org just in time for Mothers Day.

All mothers want to protect their children from harm, yet many are not aware of the serious health risks that secondhand smoke can cause, says Pam Malveaux, Baton Rouge Area Regional Coordinator of the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living.

The Make Your Childs World Smoke-Free booklet will help moms understand the impact of secondhand smoke on their children, offer suggestions for protecting kids from secondhand smoke exposure at home and in cars, and provide tips for keeping kids smoke-free.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals that are toxic, more than 60 of which are known to cause cancer. In young children, exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk for asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Mothers are one of the most important influences in a childs life, says Malveaux. Now there is a resource that can help them take an active role in protecting their childs health and influencing the decision not to smoke.

To request a free copy of the Make Your Childs World Smoke-Free guide, click on the Smoke-Free Kids link at www.mytfl.org or call 1-866-I-AM-4-TFL to request one over the phone.

The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living provides statewide coordination of existing tobacco control initiatives, funds innovative community programs for tobacco control, and develops statewide media campaigns to help reduce the excessive burden of tobacco use on the states resources and improve the overall health and quality of life. TFL also funds the Louisiana Tobacco Quitline, 1(800) QUIT-NOW. For more information on creating a smoke-free environment where you live, work and play, visit www.tobaccofreeliving.org. For help quitting, call 1(800) QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).