Siletz
Community
“Cha-may weeya ”
Medicine Talk
Health
Clinic
Things You Should Know About
Second-Hand Smoke
In 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency classified environmental
tobacco smoke (ETS, also second-hand smoke) as a “Group A” carcinogen -
a substance that produces cancer in humans.
Second-hand smoke is a mix of 4,000+ compounds, more than 50 of which
are known to cause cancer.
Some of the elements in second-hand tobacco smoke include nicotine, carbon
monoxide, benzene, ammonia, 4-aminobiphenyl, and benzolajpyrene.
”■* Parental smoking can cause children to suffer many negative health effects.
Pregnant women who smoke are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies
at risk for death and disease in infancy and early childhood. Same for non
smoking pregnant women exposed daily to second-hand smqke.
Nursing mothers who smoke pass harmful chemicals to their babies in
breast milk.
"■* More than one-third (35 percent) of all deaths from sudden infant death
syndrome (SIDS) are due to maternal tobacco use.
Sixty-seven Siletz-area children got their teeth sealed during the fourth annual
sealant clinic at the Siletz Community Health Clinic in April. Dr. Randy Teich (I)
and Diane Tripp, dental assistant (r), seal Zach Bremner’s teeth. Dental
students from Oregon Health Sciences University helped with the project.
Children in the U.S. are three times more likely to die from SIDS caused by
maternal smoking than die from homicide or child abuse.
Children of parents who smoke have a higher prevalence of symptoms of
respiratory irritation such as cough, phlegm, and wheezing.
’■* Children of parents who smoke have more ear infections. They have a greater
What Can You Do to Stop Smoking?
by Shannon Chrisman, 1-800-648-0449 or 541-444-1030
chance of developing leukemia and other cancers later in life.
Tobacco smoke makes eyes bum, throats hurt, and hair and clothing smell.
Children have a greater chance of getting colds, flu, pneumonia, and bronchitis
® Be motivated to stop.
when their parents smoke around them.
The first step in quitting for good is the desire to quit. You want to stop.
Smokers who are motivated to stop are twice as likely to be successful than those
who are not motivated.
"* If you smoke around your children, they are more likely to become smokers
themselves and more likely to die of a smoking-related illness later in life.
® Seek help and support.
Parents: If you must smoke, please don’t smoke around your children, in your
home, or in your car. Please smoke outside. Your children’s health depends on it.
The more help you get, the better your chance of success. Studies show that
people who try to stop through a formal program are up to eight times more likely
to do so than those who try to quit on their own. So seek help from a smoking
cessation program. Talk to others, family and friends, and seek out information to
help guide your efforts.
Health Committee Member Needed
® Begin by making small changes.
Begin to limit places where you smoke. For example, smoke only outside or
in one room of your house (unless you have children, then outside is better).
Practice not smoking by not smoking in the car. Begin an exercise program or
start to incorporate daily activity into your life. Seek medical advice from your
doctor prior to starting any new exercise program.
® Talk to others who have quit.
Ask others how they did it. What methods helped them?
® Pay attention to your smoking patterns.
When do you smoke? Where do you smoke? Who are you with? What
emotional or situational triggers do you notice? Now practice coping with all of
these situations without resorting to smoking (i.e., call someone for support, read
something, go for a walk, garden, listen to music, watch a show).
With the recent resignation of a Health Committee member, the Siletz
Tribal Council is recruiting for an individual to fill this vacancy. Anyone
interested in serving on the Health Committee should submit an application by
June 19, 2001, to:
Exec. Secretary to Tribal Council
CTSI
PO Box 549
Siletz, OR 97380
Fax 541-444-8325
Applications can be picked up at the area offices or by calling
1-800-922-1399, ext. 203, or 541-444-8203.
June 2001
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Siletz News
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