The International Union Against Cancer (UICC) and other cancer fighting charities across the world have called for efforts to promote smoke-free environments for children as part of this year’s World Cancer Day (4 February). They are calling on parents to:
- Avoid smoking at home or in a car
- Caution children to stay away from second-hand smoke and keep children away from places that allow smoking
- Refrain from smoking while pregnant or in the vicinity of someone who is pregnant
- Consult a doctor about how they can give up smoking
To back these messages, the UICC has published an expert report, “Protecting our children from second-hand smoke”, which sets out the health consequences to children of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and makes recommendations on safeguarding children in homes, cars, schools, childcare facilities and other public places.
This campaign is the first full-year initiative in “Today’s children, tomorrow’s world”, a five-year global focus on children in UIC’s World Cancer Campaign, launched last year.
Source: UICC, 4 February 2008