For Parents

As a parent or caregiver of young children, you want to ensure the children you care about are as healthy and safe as possible. One important way to do that is to limit their exposure to second and thirdhand smoke or vapor from tobacco products. Breathe: Healthy Steps to Living Tobacco Free provides information and resources that can help!

Whether you use tobacco products yourself or not, it is important that the adults who care for young children have the facts about tobacco and can make informed decisions. Protecting children from the harms of tobacco starts with education!

Click any topic below for helpful resources to educate yourself or to share with others:

There is no ‘safe’ amount of smoking, vaping, or second hand smoke that is considered to be safe for the baby during pregnancy. Tobacco use during pregnancy may result in damage to the placenta which may affect how much oxygen the baby is getting, pre-term labor, or the baby having some health problems once born. If you or someone you know is smoking while pregnant, it is important to know that anything you can do to lessen and/or quit smoking while pregnant is the most important part! Whatever a mother puts into her body can go right to the baby during pregnancy. This includes many types of medications and smoking and vaping. These can be harmful for a growing and developing baby and possibly cause birth complications. https://justbreathein.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023-Parent-Handouts_SmokingVaping-during-Pregnancy.pdf This 2 minute Breathe video discusses some of the dangers that smoking can do during a pregnancy. https://vimeo.com/showcase/5229425?video=261297608 Even if you do not smoke, it can still be harmful to be around those that are smoking and vaping during pregnancy. Breathing in the second hand smoke, the smoke that comes from things like a cigarette or vape, can still be harmful to the baby as it exposes them to the harmful chemicals that are found in the second hand smoke. https://justbreathein.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Pregnancy-and-Smoke-Vapor.pdf

Your Tobacco Story

Understanding the impact of tobacco is not just about knowing facts and stats, it’s about real people! Personal stories reveal the true impact of tobacco and help us all learn.

Do you have a personal story of how tobacco has affected you or the people around you? We would love to hear it! Click here to fill out a short form and share your tobacco story with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

We have heard lots of questions about tobacco over the years and want to help parents get accurate answers.

Click here to check out some of the most common questions parents/caregivers have about tobacco. Get the facts that can help protect your family!

Get Your Questions About Tobacco Answered!

Not finding the information you need? We can help!

Fill out this short form with your first name, county, email address, and your tobacco-related question(s). Someone from our team will send you an email with helpful information and resources to answer your question. (Keep in mind, we are real people, not AI, so we will do our best to get back to you within 1 week!)

Your question may even end up on our Frequently Asked Questions page and help other parents/caregivers who have the same question!

Parents of Middle or High School Students

While the Breathe program focuses on keeping younger children safe from tobacco, we know that parents/caregivers of middle and high school-aged students also need accurate information to keep their teens and tweens safe. Vape Free Indiana and the Truth Initiative are great resources for parents, educators, and youth who are looking for tobacco-related information and support.

Ready to Quit?

If you use tobacco and are ready to quit, you can click here to get in contact with Quit Now Indiana for FREE 24/7 quit help! You can also call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or text READY to 34191.

If you would like to be connected with a local tobacco control specialist, send an email to justbreatheindiana@gmail.com with your name and county of residence. Quitting tobacco is hard, but help and support is available!