Breathe ND
by KFYR-TV
Posted on 9/8/2008
Breathe North Dakota Crusades Against Secondhand Smoke!
By now it`s no secret that smoking kills and not just smokers. A new anti-smoking coalition called Breathe N.D. says for every eight smokers who die as a direct result of smoking, one non-smoker also dies because of secondhand smoke.
An estimated 133,000 North Dakotans smoke. That`s about one out of every five people in the state. Another 800 teens pick up the habit each year. Those smokers are putting more than just their own health at risk. That`s because secondhand smoke has over two thousand toxic chemicals in it.
“Including formaldehyde, ammonia, lead, chromium, benzine, arsenic, and more than 50 other chemicals which are known to be carcinogenic,” notes St. Alexius emergency physician Dr. Lee Bales.
A new coalition of North Dakota doctors and health advocates is trying to spread the word. They call themselves Breathe North Dakota. Besides their efforts in person, Breathe ND members are also using the web to teach. “This website will help others learn to not hurt themselves and their friends and families that are affected by the secondhand smoke that they create,” says Pat McGeary of the Bismarck Tobacco Free Coalition.
Breathe ND members want everyone to know the facts. Smoking and secondhand smoke is linked to cancer, heart disease, breathing problems, and now there is strong evidence it could even be a cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. “We can`t allow this to continue, and that is why today I am so excited to become a member of Breathe North Dakota,” says Deb Knuth of the American Cancer Society.
Breathe ND says people in certain jobs have a 50% higher chance of getting cancer from secondhand smoke. St. Alexius family nurse practitioner Dr. Stacey Pfenning explains, “Those who work an eight-hour shift in a smokey room or smokey bar inhale the equivalent of about a half a pack of cigarettes, and that`s in an eight-hour shift. There is more pollutants in a smokey bar than there is on highways.”
It`s a message Breathe ND intends to scream loud and clear. And they are hoping you will join the cause. You can learn more about the effects of smoking and secondhand smoke and join the cause by logging on to www.BreatheND.com.
Watch the Video: KFYR-TV featuring Dr. Lee Bales, St. Alexius ER Physician