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New Health Department program is designed to help pregnant women drop the smoking habit

The Sylva Herald & Ruralite - 3/1/2017

Staff at the Jackson County Health Department are now trained and certified to offer a program to help pregnant women quit smoking.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that health officials must encourage pregnant women who smoke to attempt to quit, said Health Services Manager Anna Lippard.

The "Baby and Me" program is research-based and is proven to help pregnant women quit smoking and maintain it through the post-partum period and beyond, she said.

Laurie Adams, director of the program, provided technical support and training to local health officials. Three staff members are certified to enroll women into the program.

"(The Health Department) provides services to a large number of prenatal women and supports its patients' quit attempts," Adams said. "Pregnant women who enroll in the program receive counseling support and resources to help them quit smoking. Upon successfully quitting and staying quit, they are eligible for free diapers for up to 12 months following the birth of their baby."

The program follows methods set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Adams said.

"The greatest gift a woman can give her baby is a tobacco-free pregnancy and a tobacco-free home. We are thrilled to be working with the Health Department in Jackson County," she said.

According to the N.C. State Center for Health Statistics, 26 percent of pregnant women smoke. Tobacco use during pregnancy is a known cause of birth defects, premature births, underweight babies and sudden infant death syndrome. Quitting smoking greatly reduces the health risks to the mother and baby.

For more information on the program or how to enroll, contact the Health Department at 586-8994 or visit www.babyandmetobaccofree.com.