The Daily Record
Celebrate A Smoke-Free Father’s Day
From the Harnett County Department of Public Health
Father’s Day is an occasion to mark and celebrate the contribution that fathers and father figures make to children’s lives.
This Father’s Day, if you smoke, public health officials with the Harnett County Health Department encourage you to model a healthy way of living for your children by quitting. Find out about the ways that you can protect yourself and loved ones by quitting smoking and reducing exposure to secondhand smoke.
Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Cigarette smoking accounts for an estimated 480,000 deaths each year in the United States, or nearly one of every five deaths. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and causes many diseases, such as coronary heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.
Secondhand smoke poses a health risk to non-smokers such as heart disease, lung disease and various types of cancer.
Non-smokers who breathe in secondhand smoke take in nicotine and toxic chemicals the same way smokers do. Secondhand smoke poses additional risks for children, who are especially vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke. Problems include: low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma and infections.
Quitting smoking can be challenging and may require multiple attempts. The most important thing is to try. Almost 50 million smokers have successfully quit. There are many resources available to help smokers quit. North Carolina has a Tobacco Use Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-7848669). Callers can speak to trained tobacco quitting specialists. The quitline provides free support and information for all North Carolinians.
Fathers, be smoke-free role models by using the following tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
• Do not start smoking.
• Don’t allow others to smoke in your home, vehicles or around your children.
• Teach your children about the health risks of smoking and secondhand smoke.
• If you are a father who smokes, quit now. It is the best thing you can do for your family. For more information on quitting smoking, contact Harnett County Health Department at (910) 814-6196 or (910) 893-7550 or visit www.harnett.org/health.