Posted on 10/17/2001 2:02:02 PM PDT by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) - The Bush administration on Tuesday kicked off a new environmental health effort that seeks to protect millions of children from the dangers of secondhand smoke in their own homes.
``The message is clear...quit or take it outside,'' EPA administrator Christine Whitman said in announcing the ''Smoke-Free Home Pledge Initiative'' at Children's National Medical Center here.
In unveiling the national television and print media campaign, Whitman challenged parents and others who smoke in homes where children live to take the pledge to keep a smoke-free home. Medical, consumer and community organizations are co-sponsoring the public health effort.
``Smoking is such an obvious trigger for so many negative health problems (in children),'' Whitman told Reuters Health. ''This is so definable.''
As many as 15 million children are exposed each day to tobacco smoke in their home, according to Dr. Martha White, a fellow with the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and director of research at the Institute for Asthma and Allergy. These children are more likely to develop asthma, suffer ear infections, be hospitalized for pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses, and die from SIDS and crib death than are children in smoke-free homes.
Secondhand smoke can be particularly dangerous for children with asthma, and can itself be a cause of asthma in children. The 5 million American children with asthma miss a total of 10 million school days each year, Whitman said.
``Education and intervention can make a difference,'' White said. ``Exposure to tobacco smoke is one of many allergic triggers that can exacerbate asthma symptoms, but it is a trigger that can be avoided.''
``This is a big part of the effort'' to reduce the environmental health threats facing children in the US, Whitman told Reuters Health. Other initiatives she cited include on-going efforts to reduce the amount of lead in the atmosphere and improve air quality in schools and other buildings. Whitman also told Reuters Health that if Congress passed a bill to reduce levels of three atmospheric pollutants--nitrogen oxides, mercury and sulfur dioxide--this could further reduce threats to child health.
Tobacco and lead are the most widespread toxins endangering children's health, Dr. Dana Best, a fellow with the American Academy of Pediatrics, told Reuters Health. In fact, 38% of infants with mothers who smoke are likely to be hospitalized for pneumonia during the first year of their lives, she said, while as many as 15% of ear infections are attributable to secondhand smoke.
The Consumer Federation of America Foundation, the American Medical Association and the National Organization of Black County Officials are among the organizations supporting the initiative.
But now pro-abort RINO Christie Whitman is easing the EPA into our individual homes to protect children from their own parents.
I wonder if pro-abort RINO Tom Ridge is gonna enforce this in the name of "Homeland Security"?
Where does it say that this is anything other than an informational program?
Ok, smoking is supposed to be bad, it's suppsed to cost SO MUCH to treat that they've soaked BILLIONS from the tobacco industry.
Now riddle me this. Why does a dose of zyban (anti smoking drug), which costs 110.00 a prescription, NOT get covered under health plans if it's so conducive to eliminating this 'evil' lifestyle choice ????
Anyone else see a problem with this ??
Grrr. I think I'm gonna start. And take it inside.
Even if it is, what the heck does the EPA have to do with it?
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