Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

To the Editor:

Mother's Day for many moms brings to mind homemade cards or gifts, flowers, breakfast (in bed!), warm memories of their babies and children growing up, lots of "I love you's" from sons or daughters.

On this special day, another way to celebrate is for kids to give their moms who smoke loving support, encouragement, and information that could help them become tobacco-free before Mother's Day next year. Both smoking and non-smoking moms can celebrate Mother's Day by protecting their children from secondhand smoke and teaching them the dangers of tobacco use.

Recent statistics from Campaign For Tobacco Free Kids determine that Indiana ranks 49th out of 50 regarding smoking rates of women (with one being the lowest). Of these approximately 588,100 women who smoke in Indiana, 3,800 die annually from smoking related illnesses. Almost 1 in 5 (19.1%) of these 588,100 women smoke during pregnancy. And 260 kids lose their moms to smoking each year.

If you are one of these "statistics", perhaps now is your time to give yourself a Mother's Day gift -- the gift of new health. It's never too late to make that choice. Within only 20 minutes of your last cigarette, your heart rate drops. After 12 hours the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. Within two weeks -- three months your heart attach risk begins to drop and your lung functions begin to improve.

I encourage you, this Mother's Day, to choose health. Make this your time to quit. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to speak with a trained quit coach. The service is confidential and free. After all, there's never been a better time to quit!

Nancy Cummings

GCTPC Coordinator

Bloomfield