From the Opinion Page Staff The Advocate The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living- "Our Views: Get smoke away from children"

While the Legislature has had a healthy debate this session about limiting cigarette smoke in Louisianas public places, secondhand smoke continues to be a large health problem in Louisianas homes, according to The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living.

One out of every two children in Louisiana lives with secondhand smoke at home every day, according to the group. To educate parents about the risks of secondhand smoke and help them reduce harmful exposure of children, TFL is making available Make Your Childs World Smoke-Free, a free, 15-page guide to creating smoke-free environments for children. It can be downloaded at http://www.mytfl.org/. Those without Internet access can call a toll-free number, (866) 426-4835, and request a free copy in the mail.

Parents want to protect their children from harm, yet many are not aware of the serious health risks that secondhand smoke can cause, said Pam Malveaux, TFLs Baton Rouge area coordinator. The Make Your Childs World Smoke-Free booklet will help (parents) 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 national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 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, also known as SIDS.

The best way to get secondhand smoke out of a house, of course, is to quit smoking. TFL offers help to those who want to quit at its quitline, (800) QUIT-NOW. With summer approaching, children will be spending more time at home. If their homes are smoke-free, those children will have a better shot at enjoying a healthy life.