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You'll Never Have Better Reasons
To Think Beforfe You Light Up

Smoking is .dangerous to your health.
That you know. It's printed on every
package of cigarettes. But do you know
that cigarette smoke can endanger your
children too?

• Second-hand smoke, the smoke from
the burning end of a cigarette, has 2
times more tar and nicotine, and 5
times more carbon monoxide than the
smoke the smoker inhales. Therefore,
children who breathe such smoke also
inhale the chemicals.

• During their first five years of life, children
of parents who smoke are more likely
to have colds, bronchitis, and pneumonia
than children of non-smoking parents.

• When a mother who smokes breast-
feeds, two things may occur:

1. The level of vitamin C in the milk is
reduced.

2. Nicotine can be found in the milk
even 5 hours after the last cigarette
is smoked.

• Smoke can irritate children's eyes and
nasal passages.

• In children, smoke can worsen symptoms
related to asthma or allergies and can
even trigger an asthma attack.

Is Your Smoke Their Smoke?

Yes No

1 . Do rooms in your house smell of stale □ □
tobacco?

2. Does smoke cling to your clothing? □ □
Or the clothing of your children?

3. Does your baby inhale the smoke you □ □
exhale?

4. Does your child breathe the smoke □ □
from the burning end of a cigarette?

5. Does your child complain of burning □ □
eyes?

6. Does your child ever pretend to be □ □
smoking "just like mommy or daddy?"

7. Do you or others smoke in your car □ □
with the windows closed?

If you answered YES to any of these questions,
YOUR SMOKE IS THEIR SMOKE.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
IF YOU SMOKE

Smoke only in certain "smoking rooms,"
or better still on the porch or in the yard.

Keep the rooms the children use most as
"smoke free." That way, you can be sure
your children are exposed to as little
smoke as possible. They'll be healthier
and their rooms fresher.

Open carwindows when smoking, orwait
until you reach your destination before
you light up.

Smoke fewer cigarettes each day. Your
house will smell fresher and the air will
be cleaner.

Choose to quit smoking. It's a good
choice for you and your family.

For information
on second-hand smoke
or quitting smoking,
call this

Massachusetts toll-free number:
1-800-952-7444.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Division of Preventive Medicine
Box 1 0, Boston, MA 021 1 2

Michael S. Dukakis, Governor
Manuel Carballo, Secretary of Human Services
Bailus Walker, Jr., Commissioner of Public Health
October 1983