Smoke free

 A smoke free home and car helps protect children from disease

Risks of smoking:

Smoking during pregnancy is associated with

·         Increased risk of miscarriage and still birth

·         Twice the risk of prematurity compared with non smokers

·         An increased rate of low birth weight- on average smokers have babies 200-250 g lighter than non smokers

·         The baby’s airways grow less well

Exposure to smoke after birth causes

·         An increased risk of chest and ear nose and throat infections

·         Higher rates of asthma and wheeze

·         An increased risk of meningitis

·         An increased risk of Sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI)

·         Breastfeeding mothers who smoke produce on average 250 mls less milk per day

Half of smokers will die 15 years early

Tips to help quitting

·         Quit smoking or reduce with others for support

·         Make a smokefree plan and stick to it

·         Use nicotine replacement products- use of nicotine replacement for 8 weeks doubles the chance of successfully quitting

·         Use the money saved from stopping smoking to buy things for yourself or your baby (20 a day smokers would save $3800 a year at 2010 prices)

·         Have a smokefree home and car