Smoke Free Families
In Ohio, an estimated 20% of pregnant women smoke, which can cause poor health outcomes. Some of these outcomes for the baby include premature birth, low birth weight, birth defects like a cleft lip or cleft palate, and developmental delays or behavioral problems later in childhood. Additionally, moms who use tobacco while they are pregnant are more likely to have a baby who is stillborn or who dies from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
4 in 10 Ohio children are exposed to tobacco smoke in their homes, putting them at greater risks for lifelong negative health impacts. According to the Ohio Department of Health:
- Children are at a particularly high risk for health problems related to secondhand smoke (SHS);
- Babies are hurt by SHS before and after birth – smoke exposure is a known cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS);
- Older children whose parents smoke get ear infections, bronchitis and pneumonia more often than children who are not exposed to SHS;
- SHS can trigger an asthma attack in a child - more than 40% of children who go to the emergency room for asthma live with smokers; and
- Vaping in adolescents has increased significantly.
The Ohio Smoke Free Families (SFF) Learning Collaborative aims to provide information to women and their families on the benefits of quitting tobacco use and resources they can access to help with quitting. SFF also provides healthcare providers the tools needed to support women in their quit process, including a guide for implementing the 5 A’s brief counseling intervention, resources on e-cigarettes, best practices for pharmacology, and guides that can be used to support women and family members to make health decisions for both themselves and their families.
