Father’s Day honors fathers and celebrates a father’s influence on the family. It is celebrated in a variety of ways—cards, hand made gifts, favorite foods and affection. But when a father lights up a cigarette, he puts a smoke screen between himself and his adoring family. If he smokes outside, he cuts himself off from precious time with his loved ones. If he smokes indoors, he exposes them to secondhand smoke—a toxic carcinogenic with no safe level of exposure.
Secondhand smoke kills non-smokers simply by exposure. An estimated 4,560 to 7,800 non-smokers die each year in California from lung cancer or heart disease associated with their exposure to secondhand smoke.
Children have especially sensitive respiratory systems, so they are more vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke, developing ear infections, colds, asthma, bronchitis, and other ailments. The developing lungs of a child are more susceptible to the damage caused by the toxins in secondhand smoke.
Seniors with chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart and lung disease are at risk of worsening their condition, and having a stroke or heart attack when exposed to secondhand smoke.
Recently the California Department of Public Health/Tobacco Control Program released new data on the prevalence of adult smoking in California. The latest figures show that for 2008, the smoking rate for California is now at 13.3%. Hispanics as a group in 2005 show to have one of the lowest rates of smoking (11.8%) compared to the general California population in the same year (18%).
One of the largest decline in smoking prevalence for any ethnic group between 1990 and 2005 occurred among Hispanics (32.6% decrease). However, the smoking rate of Hispanic men (16%) is more than 50% higher than of Hispanic women (7.2) even though smoking rates declined by a greater percentage in men than in women within those same years.
These figures show movement in the right direction. Hispanic men are quitting and it is cause for celebration this Father’s Day. But, it is also a call to action for all the fathers who still smoke. It’s time to quit. If you tried, but were not successful, try again. Multiple quit attempts are normal and are necessary steps along the way to quitting for good. The American Lung Association advises smokers to make a plan, talk to your doctor about how to quit smoking and seek support and resources.
Smokers can find additional resources to help them quit at the American Lung Association’s website, www.californialung.org, including tools, tips on how to talk to your doctor about quitting smoking and stories from smokers who became ex-smokers.
Contact the California Smokers’ Helpline telephone program to help you quit smoking. The Helpline services are free and confidential, and offered in 6 different languages including Spanish. When you call, a friendly staff person will offer a choice of services: self-help materials, a referral list of other programs, and one-on-one counseling over the phone. The English line is 1-800-NO-BUTTS (1-800-662-8887), and Spanish line is 1-800-45-NO-FUME (1-800-456-6386).