Tobacco companies will stop at nothing to spread their deadly products. Here are some strategies to keep you and your family safe.

Make Your Home and Car Smokefree

Each year, countless children get pneumonia or bronchitis from breathing secondhand smoke. In pets, it can lead to allergies, skin disease and cancer. The only way to protect your loved ones is by NEVER smoking inside. By making your car and home smokefree, you’ll set a positive example and dramatically reduce the dangers of secondhand smoke. 

Choose Smokefree Restaurants, Bars and Hotels

Smoking is currently permitted in bars and in restaurants that meet certain ventilation requirements. Smoky bars present an imminent danger, and non-smoking sections in restaurants don’t protect customers from secondhand smoke.

While hotels often designate non-smoking rooms, it’s not enough to protect guests and their families. Secondhand smoke drifts through ventilation and air systems, contaminating the entire building. By choosing smokefree establishments, you’ll eliminate the threat of secondhand smoke.

Prevent Youth Tobacco Use

Tobacco prevention is essential for the health and future of Oklahoma’s youth. Parents, schools and the community have an enormous influence on a child’s decisions. There are numerous ways we can protect them from the dangers of tobacco:

• Parents should talk to their children about the risks of tobacco. Your attitudes and feelings greatly influence whether or not your child smokes.
• If your child has friends who smoke, talk about ways to defend against peer pressure.
• Schools can provide tobacco education and smoking prevention programs to students.
• If you’re a parent who smokes, try to quit. Call the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline for free coaching and support. Don’t use tobacco in your child’s presence, and don’t leave it where they can access it.
• In Oklahoma, 1 in 5 students uses tobacco. It’s never too early to warn your child of the dangers of tobacco use. Click here for conversation starters.
• Encourage kids to participate in youth initiatives like Kick Butts Day or World No Tobacco Day.
• Youth can access the Helpline too. Quit coaching is available for callers age 13 or older. Call 1-800-QUIT NOW or visit OKhelpline.com for more information.