Head Start

You may already know that secondhand smoke …

Causes cancer in those who do not smoke.

Leads to increased risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma.

Exposure during pregnancy causes low birth weight.

Exposure from parents or other caregivers causes respiratory illness in infants and children.

Causes premature death and disease in adults and children who do not smoke.

But did you know that…

In 2006 the Surgeon General estimated that exposure to secondhand smoke kills 430 newborns from SIDS each year.

The Surgeon General also states exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy or after birth may cause leukemia, lymphoma, and/or childhood brain tumors.

It is not just the pregnant woman who should not smoke! Smoking around a pregnant woman can cause her child to have low birth weight.

Despite efforts to reduce children's exposure to smoke, children still continue to show toxin levels nearly twice those of adult non-smokers.

Exposure to secondhand smoke actually slows down the growth of children’s lungs.

Providing separate smoking areas, extra ventilation or cleaning the air within an inside area does not eliminate your exposure. The only way to protect others from exposure to secondhand smoke is to eliminate smoking in indoor spaces.

Now that you know… what are you going to do?