Monday 12 January 2009

SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY IS UNACCEPTABLE

The latest evidence from the Cancer Institute NSW should lend weight to the campaign to make smoking during pregnancy, just like drink driving, unacceptable, Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner said today.

“The latest research from the Cancer Institute NSW makes a significant link between smoking during pregnancy and babies developing cancer during their childhood,” Mrs Skinner said.

“Given everything we know as a society about the effects of smoking on unborn children, it should be unacceptable for pregnant mothers to smoke,” she said.

“With some women continuing to smoke during pregnancy, it is clear that we as a community still have work to do to make this practice unacceptable.

“While many smokers understand the risks they take, others are obviously not heeding or seeing current education campaigns.

“As a society, we need to re-double our efforts to get pregnant mothers to quit smoking for good.

“It is simply not fair to burden unborn children with an increased risk of childhood cancer when we know so much about tobaccos harmful effects.

“The State Labor Government needs to be doing more to educate smokers because as long as pregnant mothers continue smoking, unborn babies will continue to be placed at risk of harm.

“Tobacco smoking contributes to 54,000 hospitalisations each year, adding to the health system crisis – with hospitals overflowing, a lack of beds, blocked emergency departments and growing waiting lists.

“It's important we send the strongest signal possible to all smokers to quit, but especially pregnant mothers.