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QUITTING SMOKING THIS FATHER’S DAY IS A GREAT GIFT TO FAMILY, CAN INSPIRE LOVED ONES
Resources Are Available to Quit for Good Including Free Coaching and Free Patches or Gum
OKLAHOMA CITY (June 17, 2011) – Oklahomans know that fathers play an important role in seeing their children grow into healthy, productive adults. On Father’s Day, join others across Oklahoma and make a commitment to quit smoking for life. Your loved ones will thank you and you may just lead others to a smokefree life by your example.
“Father’s Day is a wonderful time to focus on the important men in our lives and how they influence us,” said Tracey Strader, TSET executive director. “If you’re a father, quitting smoking is one of the most important changes you can make to improve your health and protect the health of your loved ones. Whether you quit for yourself or for someone you love, make a plan and start feeling better today. You can even get help from your doctor or other health professional or contact the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline.”
One of the many things dads do is lead their families by example. This Father's Day, take a moment to congratulate the dads who've quit smoking. Despite the highly addictive properties of nicotine, these dads succeeded in quitting, and in doing so, became role models for other smokers in their families and communities.
Other dads continue to struggle with addiction to tobacco. Nearly one in four men in the United States smoke cigarettes. But surveys indicate that more than 70 percent of smokers want to quit. This June, let dads who smoke know that they've taken great care of their families and that now you want them to do something important for themselves: quit smoking. Be supportive. Motivation and support to quit from family and friends can improve a person’s odds of staying quit for life. Additional resources are available through your doctor or the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) and www.quitnow.net/Oklahoma, including free patches or gum.
Many children are protected from the dangers of secondhand smoke by their parents. Many dads understand that tobacco smoke hurts children, and they take steps to keep their children safe. But not everyone knows that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Not all parents know that, for children who have asthma, secondhand smoke can trigger an attack and that the attack could be severe enough to send a child to the hospital—or even be deadly.
The Helpline is funded by TSET (Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust), the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year, the Helpline served more than 37,000 Oklahomans.
The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline operates seven days a week. Services are available for free to Oklahomans who smoke as well as those who use other tobacco products. Services are also available in Spanish by calling 1-800-793-1552. For more information about the Helpline, go to: www.ok.gov/tset/Programs/Helpline.html. For more information about quitting tobacco use go to: www.smokefree.gov.
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The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) serves as a partner and bridge builder for organizations working towards shaping a healthier future for all Oklahomans. TSET provides leadership at the intersections of health by working with local coalitions and initiatives across the state, by cultivating innovative and life-changing research, and by working across public and private sectors to develop, support, implement and evaluate creative strategies to take advantage of emerging opportunities to improve the public’s health. TSET – Better Lives Through Better Health. To learn more go to: www.tset.ok.gov.
Sidebar Information:
What can Dads and other adults do?
• If you are a dad who smokes, quit now. It is the best thing you can do for your family. Children of parents who smoke are twice as likely to become smokers. Even if you have smoked for many years, you CAN quit. If you need assistance, talk to your doctor or contact the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) and www.quitnow.net/Oklahoma.
• Do not let people smoke around your children.
• Make sure your children's day care centers and schools are tobacco-free. A tobacco-free campus policy prohibits any tobacco use or advertising on school property by anyone at any time. This includes off-campus school events.
• Make your home and car completely smoke-free. Opening a window does not protect you or your children from secondhand smoke.
• Teach your children about the health risks of secondhand smoke.
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – http://www.cdc.gov/features/Smoke-FreeFathersDay/
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