Smoking?...Not in Mama's House!

Extensive research shows that young children are adversely affected by secondhand tobacco smoke. Risk surveillance data show 6% of Hawaii households with children allow smoking indoors, and that 18% of Kaua`i County children are at risk for secondhand smoke exposure. In spring of 2004, Kauai District Office of the Hawaii Department of Health, Tobacco Free Kauai Coalition and other community organizations planned and implemented a campaign to reduce exposure for children to secondhand smoke. The campaign, “Smoking?…Not in Mama’s House!” asked tobacco users to give a Mother’s Day gift of health by pledging to avoid smoking in homes and vehicles. Non-users were asked to pledge to prohibit smoking in their home and vehicle. Early childhood development, family service and health care providers convened to plan and implement the campaign with parents and family caregivers. Environmental Protection Agency Smoke-Free Homes pledge kits and locally produced “Please Don’t Smoke Around Me” coloring books and pledge forms were distributed to families.

The goal of this program is to prevent children's exposure to secondhand smoke.

More than 500 airings of radio announcements produced by local teens and parents asked the public to take the pledge. Outreach staff and volunteers collected pledges at community events. Local newspapers and magazines with circulation to more than 30,000 citizens promoted the campaign. Physicians, nurses and elementary students wrote letters to the editor. The Kauai Mayor signed a proclamation and the County Council produced a resolution promoting the campaign. Incentives were important for attracting attention to pledge efforts. Pledges were entered in weekly drawings for gift certificates during May. Additional information requested on pledge forms included current smoking behavior and demographics. Of a total 1,237 pledges collected, twelve percent reported being current smokers. Three thousand smoke-free home kits and 1700 coloring books were distributed. The Kauai program will be replicated annually and expanded to two other Hawaiian islands.