 (click on the image
above for a slightly larger version)
To order copies of the poster above (Item number 402H02001), contact IAQINFO by e-mail iaqinfo@aol.com, by phone 1-800-438-4318/(703)
356-4020, or by fax (703) 356-5386. |
[En Espanol] Secondhand smoke affects everyone, but children are
especially vulnerable because they are still growing and
developing. EPA has created a new national Smoke-Free Home
Pledge Initiative to motivate parents to protect their
children. Exposure to secondhand smoke causes serious health effects
in children, including bronchitis, pneumonia, ear
infections, worsened asthma and even sudden infant death
syndrome. For children, particularly young children, the
most likely place of exposure is their home. In the U.S., 27% of homes with children, aged six and
younger currently allow smoking, affecting approximately
9-12 million children each year.
The good news is that parents can take action to protect
their children from secondhand smoke. The Smoke-Free Home
Pledge Initiative includes a national media campaign
highlighting the effects of secondhand smoke and sending the
message that until you can quit, smoke outside.
The initiative also includes the "Take the Smoke-Free
Home Pledge" brochure, an automated toll-free hotline
1-866-SMOKE-FREE (1-866-766-5337) that people can call and make their pledge,
and the Smoke-Free Home Kit, which includes a
certificate, and a magnet and is mailed to those who make
the pledge.
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[Posted Nov. 16, 2002] EPA Administrator Christie
Whitman unveiled a new environmental health campaign, the Smoke-Free Home Pledge Initiative, designed
to protect millions of America's children from the risks of secondhand smoke in their own homes. Every day, 12 million children are exposed to
secondhand smoke in their home. This leads to serious health consequences, ranging from ear infections and pneumonia to asthma.
EPA Administrator Christie Whitman
announced a national television and print media campaign and a major outreach effort co-sponsored by key medical, consumer, and community organizations,
and released a new brochure and other outreach materials to help families protect their children. The goal of the program is to motivate millions of parents
to pledge to keep their home smoke-free. 