Making a difference in infant survival: evidence-based actions to reduce tobacco exposure during pregnancy and infancy in North Carolina.
North Carolina faces major challenges in dealing with smoking and its consequences during pregnancy and infancy. Evidence-based strategies exist to help pregnant and parenting smokers to quit, to discourage young people from becoming smokers and to reduce exposure of infants to SHS. North Carolina is making progress in implementing these strategies, but more infant lives could be saved each year if the state adopted a more comprehensive approach to addressing tobacco use by improving cessation services for pregnant and parenting smokers, reimbursing clinicians for providing cessation services, increasing state excise taxes on tobacco products, establishing statewide help or quitline services and adopting tobacco-free school policies. These proven strategies can make a difference.
Melvin
Cathy L
CL
Child Health Services Program, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, USA. melvin@mail.schsr.unc.edu
Malek
Sally Herndon
SH
D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000191:economics; D013221:State Health Plans; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution