Dad, It’s Time to Clear the Air. Make This Father’s Day Smoke-Free.

June 9th, 2008

Smoking doesnt only impact the 26.4 percent of men in Louisiana who are smokers. Approximately 700 children in Louisiana will lose their dads due to smoking-related deaths this year, according to The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (TFK). On Sunday, Fathers Day, dads are encouraged to quit smoking and clear the air for their children and families.

Tobacco use among men is a serious problem in Louisiana where roughly 405,000 men currently smoke, and more than 4,000 men die annually from smoking. Louisianas health care costs to treat male smokers top $943 million annually, according to TFK. But, its not just the smoker who is at risk.

The toll of tobacco use is high in Louisiana and impacts smokers and their families in many ways, says John Butts, Regional Coordinator of The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL). Children from families with smokers often suffer health consequences from secondhand smoke exposure; and they are twice as likely to become smokers themselves.

One out of every two children in Louisiana lives with secondhand smoke in their homes. 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).

Quitting smoking is one of the most important steps that a dad can take to improve his health and the health of his family, and a smoke-free car and home policy is a healthy gift that dads who smoke can give back to their families on Fathers Day, adds Butts.

Research shows that a tobacco users chance of quitting greatly increases with support from family and friends combined with professional help. Dads can quit in their own way and on their own terms with the help of Louisianas comprehensive online cessation resource, www.QuitWithUsLA.org. The Quit With Us, Louisiana web site offers easy access to proven cessation tools and programs in a single location to help fathers and other tobacco users quit successfully. Quit With Us, Louisiana is a joint initiative of The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL) and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Tobacco Control Program (TCP).

All dads want to protect their children from harm, yet many are not aware of the serious health risks that secondhand smoke can cause. A smoke-free Fathers Day can mark the start of a healthier future for many Louisiana families, adds Butts.
To learn more about cessation tools and programs in Louisiana, visit www.QuitWithUsLA.org.