Posted on: Tuesday, December 11, 2001

The Left Lane
Quitline for smokers

By Alice Keesing,
Advertiser health writer

The American Legacy Foundation has launched a nationwide campaign to encourage pregnant women to kick the smoking habit.

The campaign includes the first national telephone Quitline at (866) 66-START (667-8278), which offers free counseling 24 hours a day to pregnant women who want to stop smoking.

Smoking during and after pregnancy is linked to one in 10 infant deaths. It increases the risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, premature delivery and low birth weight. Babies or young children who are exposed to secondhand smoke also can suffer from a plethora of health problems.

In Hawai'i, 8 percent of pregnant women smoke — one of the lowest rates in the nation.