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Unique Gift Idea: Get Dad to Quit Smoking

INDIANAPOLIS – Whether it's breakfast in bed or a round of golf, Father's Day is the perfect time, for most kids, to show "Dad" some well-deserved appreciation. It's also the perfect time to help them to be "tobacco-free" by the time Father's Day rolls around next year.

"Celebrating Father's Day with a pledge to stop smoking is a terrific way to bring together a family because all of us can use the kind of support, encouragement and information it takes to stop smoking," says Karla Sneegas, executive director, Indiana Tobacco Prevention Cessation.

In Indiana, a toll-free hotline – 1-800-QUIT-NOW – is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for those wanting help to break their addiction.

In the United States, 24.1 percent of all men currently smoke¹, putting them at risk for everything from heart attacks and strokes to lung cancer, emphysema and other life-threatening illnesses. In Indiana, the smoking rate for men is even higher -- at 29.7 percent2. There are more than 600,000 men who smoke in the Hoosier state.

Of those, 5,900 men in Indiana die annually. As a result, more than 4,700 children in the state have already lost their Dads to smoking and 660 new kids will be added to the list this year5. The total yearly state health care cost for treating male smokers in Indiana is $ 1.172 billion6.

"I vividly recall when my Dad quit smoking," adds Sneegas. "I was in the fifth grade. As a 10-year old I was more excited about the smokefree car than concerned about his health. Today, though, I am thankful he quit and he is here to share time with me and my two children.

"My grandfather was a different story, unfortunately. His cigarette and pipe addiction stole too many golden years from his life and he did not get to enjoy some of the greatest events of his granddaughter's early adulthood," adds Sneegas, lamenting the fact that her grandfather passed away at the age of 72.

Another lasting tribute would be to support new public and private tobacco-control initiatives that will not only help fathers who smoke to quit, but also prevent their sons and daughters from becoming another statistic in an already-terrible toll.

"When men quit smoking, they improve their health, as well as the health of the people around them. And, fathers who stop smoking improve the likelihood that their children will grow up to be tobacco-free and lead longer, healthier lives," adds Sneegas. * * *

ITPC was created to oversee funding from Indiana's share of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement from the tobacco industry. The Board oversees the state's tobacco prevention campaign, which includes media components, special youth features, enforcement, cessation initiatives and community programs. For more information log onto www.itpc.in.gov.