One way to

combat secondhand smoke is to pledge to create a smoke-free home. Simple

steps can be taken to create a smoke-free environment such as smoking

outside the home, prohibiting visitors to smoke inside the home or quitting

smoking completely.

"Smoke

will lodge itself into every element of a home, and spring is a perfect

time to rid your home of smoke. People who have made the commitment to

establish a smoke-free home have cleaner homes and are healthier,"

said NaTasha Howard, tobacco program coordinator for the LaGrange Health

District. "Many mention how much better they smell, their home smells

and how much better food tastes in their house."

Besides being

a smelly pollutant, secondhand smoke is a major health hazard to non-smokers

and can often be a killer. Every year, thousands of otherwise healthy

children develop asthma, pneumonia and other lung infections. According

to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, a person's

risk of developing cancer from secondhand smoke is about 100 times greater

than from outdoor cancer-causing pollutants. It is estimated that more

than 3,000 non-smokers die each year from lung cancer.

In addition,

recent U.S. and European studies have discovered that dogs and rabbits

are likely to develop health issues from secondhand smoke that they normally

would not contract.

Outside the

health risks, making the commitment to stop smoking indoors can have an

economic effect on the home. Less time, energy and money will be spent

on cleaning curtains, walls, windows and mirrors. More importantly, a

smoke-free home can receive lower insurance rates due to the fact that

last year nationwide more than 1,000 house fires resulting in death were

caused by indoor smoking.

Twenty-four

percent of Georgia adults smoke. More than 10,000 people die in Georgia

every year from tobacco-related illnesses more than all the deaths from

alcohol, cocaine, heroin, AIDS, murder, suicide, auto accidents and fires

combined. Tobacco drains $1.8 billion in healthcare costs from the Georgia

economy every year. An estimated 30,000 Georgia children begin smoking

every year and another 10,000 begin to use spit tobacco.

Quitting smoking

is not an easy task, but it is one that can be accomplished with dedication

and support. In an effort to help Georgians kick the habit, the state

has established Quit Line, 877-270-STOP, a toll-free resource that connects

callers to a trained counselor who can help them set up steps to quit.

In 1998, Georgia

was awarded $4.8 billion as one of 46 states in a landmark settlement

against major tobacco companies, receiving the first allocation of $150

million during the 2000 legislative session. Of that, $87 million funded

health-related projects and $15.8 million was earmarked to fund tobacco

use prevention, including implementing community-based prevention programs

in Georgiaís 19 health districts.

For additional

information, please visit us at www.unitegeorgia.com .

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