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Environmental Protection Agency Asking All Parents to Take the Smoke-Free Home Pledge Initiative
Newstream ^ | November 2, 2001 | Kristy Miller, EPA

Posted on 11/02/2001 9:58:26 AM PST by Max McGarrity

National Campaign Designed to Protect Children from Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke

November 2001 (Newstream) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a national Smoke-Free Home Pledge Initiative that asks parents to make their homes smoke-free to protect their children from the serious health effects of secondhand tobacco smoke. In order to maintain a smoke-free home, parents must ensure that friends, relatives, and babysitters also do not smoke inside the family home, according to EPA.

EPA Administrator Gov. Christie Todd Whitman launched the new campaign at the Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, on October 16. EPA's Smoke-Free Home Pledge Initiative focuses on encouraging parents to "go out for their kids", until they can quit smoking. Governor Whitman urged parents to call EPA's toll-free hotline to make the Smoke-Free Home Pledge.

Nine to 12 million children are exposed to secondhand smoke at home every day in the United States. According to EPA and several other national studies, health effects include bronchitis and pneumonia, wheezing and coughing spells, ear infections, low birth weight, SIDS, and asthma. In fact, secondhand smoke causes approximately one million children a year to suffer from more frequent and severe asthma attacks. Asthma is the leading chronic illness in children and accounts for ten million missed school days each year.

Parents can make the commitment by calling the Smoke-Free Home Pledge Hotline at 800-513-1157. In return, EPA will send a Smoke-Free Home Kit that includes a pledge certificate and educational materials.

EPA is conducting this campaign with a range of national partner organizations. For example, community, health, and local government groups have started distributing 200,000 pledge brochures across the country. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology is strongly encouraging its 6,000 member physicians to educate their patients on the health effects of secondhand smoke. The National Association of Counties is launching a County to County Pledge Challenge, an effort that will culminate in national recognition for those that produce the most pledges.  


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To: Max McGarrity
Note to Christie Todd Whitman: Stay out of my house you freaking busybody.
61 posted on 11/03/2001 8:23:31 AM PST by terilyn
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To: culpeper
Next it will be the Gun Free Home Pledge Initiative...These people are like the Kymer Rouge...

Then fast food and junk food.

62 posted on 11/03/2001 8:24:01 AM PST by Great Dane
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To: SheLion
Here's a hoot for you, our town has gone 100% smokefree, one City Councillor gave out candy cigarettes for halloween. :-}
63 posted on 11/03/2001 8:32:16 AM PST by Great Dane
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To: ratcat
Which is safer? Smoking in the same room as a two year old or leaving the two year old unattended while I smoke outside?
64 posted on 11/03/2001 8:47:34 AM PST by Dianna
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To: Dianna
Just gut it, your 2 year old is more important than your smoke.
65 posted on 11/03/2001 8:55:46 AM PST by culpeper
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Comment #66 Removed by Moderator

To: alien2
Absolutely wonderful analysis of the situation. It's amazing to me that so few people understand it.
67 posted on 11/03/2001 7:48:18 PM PST by Max McGarrity
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To: culpeper
"Just gut it"....does that mean quit smoking? LOL

How about all you busybodies stop trying to run my life and I'll make my own decisions about what is best for my children?

The EPA plans to force us all to go outside, and then CPS can confiscate our children if they get injured because abusive, selfish mommy is outside smoking. I won't be bullied. By you, or them.

Hope you don't feed your children any junk food 'cause you're next.

68 posted on 11/03/2001 9:28:25 PM PST by Dianna
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To: Alas Babylon!
Sure... gotta feed that adoption market, ya know... not enough desirable caucausian babies and toddlers being battered within an inch of their lives, so they have to go for some other excuse... smoking or firearms in the home or riding bikes without helmets or (gasp) religious upbringing or homeschooling! The rich infertile yuppie couples must be served!
69 posted on 11/03/2001 9:35:38 PM PST by coydog
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To: Max McGarrity
Incredible! "for the children" BS. I wonder if this will be added to the home defense law in the future? The door has been opened!
70 posted on 11/03/2001 9:51:25 PM PST by poet
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To: toenail
Dear Ms. Whitman,

I go outside to smoke, because I already don't want my daughter to inhale the smoke. It also stinks up the carpet and furniture. So, I brave lightning, wind, rain, and snow to get my smokes, and I don't need some pompous pro-abort bureaucrat taking money out of my paycheck to tell me how to treat my child.

Screw you.

Ditto
I stopped smoking 6 years ago. But I will not take a smoke free pledge.
While watching me burn leaves the other day, the subject of second hand smoke came up. My son explained to me that it was 10 times more deadly than smoking. [His exact words] "No son, second hand smoke is not 10 times more deadly than smoking. Breathing in somone else's exhaled cigarette smoke is not good, however, when the schools are telling you something like that they are not being truthful. They are using it as a tool to get little Johnny try to make his Mommy and Daddy feel guilty for smoking. Why are you trying to kill me Mommy?"
My son's lesson that afternoon is never, ever trust anyone that ever so sweetly tries to influence your behavior by framing your parents' behavior as dangerous to you.

I send my children to school for an education (not all of us are cut out to home school our kids). However, I make it a point to stay on top of what goes on in class. I also refused to grant permission for him to take the CDC Safety test. Trust me, it isn't about first aid or "Cross at the ggeen and not in between." If anyone has kids scheduled to take the test, go to the CDC website. It will rock your world.

71 posted on 11/03/2001 10:17:41 PM PST by Protect the Bill of Rights
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To: Nathan Jr.
Don't believe I've heard that as such. Look, reasonable people should be able to agree, Tobacco or any other "Drug" for that matter, affect different people in different way's. Some people can smoke all their live's and die of ailments not associated with smoking. Some people can do a line of coke and go to sleep. Some people do barbs and speed away all night. Some kid's are "sensetive" to smoke, others not. Do I need the smoke police to judge how I treat my kids? Absolutely not. Blackbird.
72 posted on 11/04/2001 2:01:52 AM PST by BlackbirdSST
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To: Dianna
I meant just wait till you have the right opportunity...I'm not into telling people not to smoke but I've seen two instances where people smoke in the house with their kids and in both instances the kids had respiratory problems. Its just crazy to think it won't effect a little kid.
73 posted on 11/04/2001 6:38:21 AM PST by culpeper
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To: culpeper
I meant just wait till you have the right opportunity...I'm not into telling people not to smoke but I've seen two instances where people smoke in the house with their kids and in both instances the kids had respiratory problems. Its just crazy to think it won't effect a little kid.

Culpeper, you've swallowed the anti rhetoric, hook, line and sinker. If your statement is true, then why oh why have asthma and other respiratory ailments SKYROCKETED during the same period of time that smoking has been cut in half? Why didn't environmental tobacco smoke affect my parents or me or my children during an era when up to 70% of men and 35% of women smoked and EVERYONE who smoked did so wherever they were? If children do have respiratory problems, then of course I wouldn't smoke where they could be affected, just in case--even if those problems were probably caused by something else. That's not what's going on here. "Pristine Christine" and the corrupt-from-the-top-down EPA are not allowing for facts--just "risk."

74 posted on 11/04/2001 11:11:01 AM PST by Max McGarrity
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Comment #75 Removed by Moderator

To: Max McGarrity
If your statement is true, then why oh why have asthma and other respiratory ailments SKYROCKETED during the same period of time that smoking has been cut in half?

My pediatrician and I were talking about this a few months ago. He said that 30 years ago he used to see small children with asthma and allergies every once in a while, and now children with asthma and allergies seem to be the norm. Has the percentage of people who smoke increased dramatically in the past 30 years? Are people allowed to smoke in more places than they were 30 years ago? Are parents less educated about the risks of second hand smoke? To all of the above, the answer is NO.

If the government really wanted little kids to have less asthma and respiratory problems, they'd stop pushing free infant formula. The facts ARE out on that. This isn't about children. This is about control.

76 posted on 11/04/2001 11:36:49 AM PST by Katie_Colic
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To: Max McGarrity
Yeah...I'm no expert on the subject...I'm just mentioning what I've seen. I really don't care what the government says about anything. I'm just speaking from experience, I had two relatives die over the summer, one from lung cancer and the other from emphysema so maybe I'm a little biased against smoking after literally watching them die in intensive care.
77 posted on 11/04/2001 11:58:14 AM PST by culpeper
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To: Max McGarrity
This reminds me of the CDC spending tax money to study the effects of guns in the home.
How is it EPA's authority extends into my house?
If they have nothing better to do, cut their budget.
78 posted on 11/04/2001 12:00:57 PM PST by error99
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To: culpeper
culpeper,

That's very unfortunate for you, I'm sorry.

However, whether you get sick from your smoking or not is undoubtedly genetic.

The oldest woman in Britain died the other day, aged 114 years. She gave up smoking 30 years ago (at about 84 years), just in case it damaged her health. Evidently, it didn't!

Everyone who lives, dies. Some go fast, some go slow. Whether you smoke, eat fatty food, live in a smogy city,etc. We will all die, sooner or later.

I'm offended that the Govt and other busy-bodies try to perpetuate the myth that non-smokers all live to a ripe old age and all pass quitely in their sleep. And, somehow, use this as a justification for engaging in compulsory lifestyle control.

If anything was ever a more perfect example of blatant fascism, state-sponsored control over the personal behaviours of its citizens would have to fit the bill perfectly. The fact that they've gotten away with it for so long is what amazes me.

79 posted on 11/04/2001 9:05:25 PM PST by I'm_With_Orwell
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To: culpeper
And I have known tons of people who smoke in their houses and their kids have no problems at all.

My oldest son does happen to have asthma and I smoke outside. My younger son has been known to cause quite a bit if mischief when I was outside. I've often wondered what kind of hell I'd pay if he got seriously injured while I was outside.

I don't need the gov't telling me what to do. I do fine on my own.

80 posted on 11/04/2001 9:21:12 PM PST by Dianna
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