From: Kylee Jones
Columbus
I am the new tobacco awareness coordinator with Healthy Communities at Columbus Regional Health. I am a mother of four girls ranging in age from 5 months to 11 years old. My girls are everything to me, and it is important to me to give them the healthiest lifestyle that I can. This includes breathing in smokeless air.
My husband and I do not smoke, but about 26 percent of adults in the United States smoke, and two in five children today are exposed to secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke is just as harmful as smoking the tobacco product. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are more at risk for serious health problems such as ear infections, coughs and colds, respiratory problems, tooth decay and even long-term health problems, such as heart disease and lung disease.
We can protect our children from secondhand smoke by not allowing anyone to smoke around us or our children or inside our home or car. However, the only way to completely protect them against secondhand smoke is to quit.
If anyone needs help to quit, they can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. The caller will be connected to a Quitline specialist who will provide support on the journey to better health.
