First National Quitline For Pregnant Smokers

Friday, March 1, 2002

& Expectant Parents First National Quitline For Pregnant Smokers (NAPSA)—Each year approximately 426,000 women and teens in the U.S. smoke during preg- nancy. To help these women quit 69 smoking, the American Legacy Foundation launched the Great Start Quitline, the first national quitline for pregnant smokers. “Since the launch of the Great Start Quitline, we have received thousands of calls from women across the country,” said Dr. Cheryl Healton, American Legacy Foundation president and CEO. “But we know there are many more women whoare pregnant and want to quit smoking, and the Quitline is set up to help them.” The 2001 U.S. Surgeon General’s report on women and smoking states that smoking during pregnancy can cause sudden infant death syndrome, miscarriage, stillbirths, premature delivery and low birth weight. Pregnant smokers also increase the chance that their children will have asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis and ear infections. Telephone quitlines are one of the most successful ways of quitting smoking. According to the American Cancer Society, studies show that smokers using telephone support and self-help advice are twice as likely to attain success than those who do not receive counseling. A quitline for pregnant smokersis particularly important because nicotine replacement therapies may not be advisable for pregnant women. Therefore, pregnant women have an even greater need for the kind of trained counseling offered by the Great Start Quitline. QUITLINE Pet Pregnant women now have an additional resource to help them quit smoking. Through the Quitline, pregnant smokers receive a booklet with tips on quitting smoking, a video encouraging pregnant smokersto quit, and free counseling sessions in English and Spanish. Managed by the American Cancer Society, the Quitline is available 24 hoursa day. Thetollfree numberis 1-866-66-START. The American Legacy Foun- dation is a national, independent, public health foundation created by the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement. The foundation collaborates with organizations interested in decreasing tobacco consumption amongall ages and populations nationwide and has established goals to reduce youth tobacco use, decrease exposure to secondhand smoke, increase successful quit rates and reduce disparities in access to prevention andcessation services and in exposure to secondhand smoke. For more information about Great Start, visit www.americanlegacy.org.

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