A Childcare Provider s Guide To A Smoke-Free Environment. A toolkit to help protect children from the dangers of tobacco and secondhand smoke.

Transcription

1 A Childcare Provider s Guide To A Smoke-Free Environment A toolkit to help protect children from the dangers of tobacco and secondhand smoke.

2 Childcare is an environment where kids are nurtured and good habits are encouraged. Many of the daily activities taught become the foundations of lifelong healthy habits. Childcare programs establish partnerships with families that can be a powerful, positive force in encouraging healthy habits in children s homes. You are a role model. Raising happy, healthy children is your business, your passion and your priority. You dedicate your life to children and incorporate many hours throughout the day to ensure their health and safety. Exposure to tobacco smoke is dangerous especially for infants and children. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at a higher risk of health issues, including: sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, learning disabilities, behavioral problems and more severe asthma. Currently, one in six Mainers allows smoking in the home, putting the children you care for at risk. Resources that can help: To order FREE Signs, visit ptmstore.org Take the Smoke-Free Home Pledge and access Breathe Easy Policies & Materials at BreatheEasyMaine.org/resources Call to Quit: This toolkit will help make sure you are keeping children healthy and safe from tobacco smoke and are in compliance with Maine laws.

3 Smoking Around Children: Know the Law What is the Maine law about smoking in childcare sites? n Center-based Childcare Facilities: smoking, including the use of electronic smoking devices is not allowed in all indoor locations at all times and outdoors when children under care are present. n Home-based Childcare Facilities: smoking, including the use of electronic smoking devices is not allowed throughout the home during the hours of operation as a day care or baby-sitting service and outdoors when children under care are present. (M.R.S.A ) What are employers required to do about smoking in the workplace? Smoking is against the law in all enclosed areas of workplaces. Smoking is also not allowed in employer-owned or -leased vehicles and in employeeowned vehicles whenever another person is in the vehicle for work-related reasons. (M.R.S.A A) Every employer in Maine must have a written smoking policy that complies with state law. n The policy must be where employees can see it. n Any employee who wants a copy of the policy gets a copy. n The business must make sure people follow the policy. Smoking is against the law in all enclosed workplaces. How does Maine law define smoking? Maine law defines smoking as carrying or having in one s possession a lighted or heated cigarette, cigar, pipe containing tobacco or other plant product. Smoking includes the use of an electronic smoking device, such as an e-cigarette or personal vape pen. (M.R.S.A ) What about smoking in vehicles when children are present? Smoking is against the law in a motor vehicle by the operator or a passenger when a person under 16 years of age is present. (M.R.S.A ) Free signs are available to help you to ensure that parents, children and employees know where smoking is banned. Call or go to to order. Take the Smoke-Free Pledge to protect family members from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. Visit

4 is featured on our Facebook page and website. w w w.sm o kef reef o r me.or g H O U S I N G Place Stamp Here Secondhand & Thirdhand Smoke: Tips to Keep Kids Safe Secondhand and thirdhand smoke are the dangerous byproducts of tobacco smoke. When You Smoke Around Kids, It s Like They Are Smoking. Wherever You Drive, Go Smoke-Free. Set firm rules against smoking in your car. If anyone asks to smoke, be polite but firm. Most Even at very low levels, tobacco smoke exposure is associated with decreased reading and math scores and higher rates of behavioral problems in children. Thirdhand smoke is the residue from cigarettes and cigars that lingers on surfaces such as personal clothing, rugs, furniture, and car interiors. Thirdhand smoke also contains nicotine and cancer-causing chemicals, including arsenic, lead and cyanide. Enter to win the Smoke-Free Housing drawing contest! Youth under the age of 12 are invited to participate. Each month one entry will be drawn and the winning entry will be posted on the Smoke-Free Housing website at Check back to see if your drawing It s easy! Draw a picture and drop the card in the mail. First name: Age: Smoke-Free Housing Coalition of Maine 389 Congress Street Portland, ME Smoke-Free Housing Coalition of Maine 389 Congress Street, Room 307 Portland, ME smokefreeforme.org The smoke from one lit cigarette can go anywhere. No air filter or ventilation system can totally remove it. In a car, even rolling down a window won t stop smoke from reaching other passengers. Because motor vehicle cabins are smaller, tighter spaces, it is against the law to smoke in them with children under the age of 16. That means if the child is not of legal driving age, you cannot legally smoke when he or she is a passenger. So, if you have a young child in the vehicle, steer clear of smoking. Protect the health of your child. Don t smoke and drive. people will understand. If you need to explain, tell them that secondhand smoke is harmful, especially to children. You can use the Smoke-Free decal to show you have a smoke-free policy. Or, you can even show them this card. Offer smokers a sweet substitute keep chewing gum or mints on hand. Ask family and friends not to smoke around your children. Make sure your sitters and daycare providers know, too. Talk to your children about secondhand smoke. Tell them to avoid it, if they can. And explain it s okay to politely ask adults not to smoke around them. More help is available! For more information, visit Call to quit. Smoke-Free Housing Coalition of Maine 389 Congress Street, Room 307 Portland, ME March 1, 2013 Dear Maine Resident, Home is where the heart is. To keep a healthy heart, you must keep a healthy home. Thank you for taking the smoke-free homes pledge as a promise to keep your family and home healthier by removing the toxins from secondhand smoke. We hope that the tools in this packet will help you keep a healthy home and to pursue healthy living. To learn more about smoke-free housing and this program, please visit Best Regards, Smoke-Free Housing Coalition of Maine info@smokefreeforme.org It s free and confidential. And it works. Secondhand and thirdhand smoke are especially dangerous to infants and children since their organs are not fully developed. You have probably heard about secondhand smoke and the fact that it can trigger asthma attacks, contribute to SIDS, and cause or worsen respiratory tract infections, pneumonia and bronchitis. You may also know that secondhand smoke moves through walls, electrical outlets and under doors and there is nothing that can stop secondhand smoke from traveling between rooms. You may not be as familiar with thirdhand smoke, which is difficult to clean and remove from surfaces. Infants and toddlers have the most exposure since their faces are often close to hair, clothes, furniture and other surfaces which may contain thirdhand smoke. The good news is that children can easily be protected from both secondhand and thirdhand smoke by creating a 100% smoke-free environment. n Do not allow smoking in your home or in your childcare facility at any time, including the use of electronic smoking devices, such as electronic cigarettes. n Do not allow smoking within 20 feet of your home, childcare facility or anywhere that children may play, and consider making the entire property smoke-free. Ensure that staff, parents and visitors all comply with this policy. n If childcare providers do smoke, require that they protect their hair and clothes with additional garments (hats, coats) when smoking. These garments should be removed before coming into the childcare area and hands must be washed thoroughly. n Do not allow people to smoke near anything that can burn, such as bark mulch or planters. n If you do allow smoking on the property, ensure that smoking materials are safely disposed in non-combustible containers filled with water or sand that are out of children s reach. Smoke-Free Kit Enclosed Encourage parents to take the smoke-free pledge for their homes. You can find it at

5 Implementing A Smoke-Free Policy Introduction A written 100% smoke-free policy will meet the requirements of Maine law and will protect the children, staff and visitors at your facility from secondhand and thirdhand smoke. Clear, concise policy language will ensure that your facility is able to properly enforce your smoke-free policy. Most importantly, by adopting such a policy you are protecting the children in your care and encouraging the families that you serve to understand the health benefits of a smoke-free environment for their families. The template smoke-free policy language below can help you to write and implement your policy. Template of a 100% Smoke-Free Policy (Organization) is dedicated to providing its children, staff, parents and visitors with a safe and healthy smoke-free environment. POLICY: (Organization) recognizes that secondhand and thirdhand smoke are detrimental to the health and safety of everyone, particularly infants and children. For this reason, (Organization) has become a 100% smoke-free facility, effective (date). Tobacco smoke is defined as the smoke from cigarettes, cigars, and all electronic smoking devices that are not FDA approved as cessation products (such as electronic cigarettes and personal vaporizers). This policy prohibits smoking: n Within all enclosed areas of the facility. A 100% smokefree policy will protect the children in your care and comply with Maine law. n On all facility grounds, including playgrounds and parking lots, including in personal vehicles parked on (organization) property. n In facility-owned or leased vehicles and employees personal vehicles being used in the course of work. To reduce exposure to the contaminants in thirdhand smoke, employees who smoke should: n Wear coverage over their clothing and hair (coat, hat, etc.) while smoking. n Thoroughly wash hands before returning to work. PROCEDURES: Everyone is required to comply with (organization s) smoke-free policy. Enforcement of this policy will follow the standard procedures of the facility. You can download and modify this policy at

6 Improve the health of your business and the children you care for. Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death and disease in Maine and the U.S. You have the power to protect your employees and the children in your care from the dangers of tobacco. TAKE THE NEXT STEP. INVEST IN THE CHILDREN YOU CARE FOR BY BECOMING 100% SMOKE-FREE. This is a Smoke-Free Area Pursuant to 22 M.R.S.A Free signs are available to notify parents, children and employees that smoking is not allowed. To order signs, go to THIS TOOLKIT WAS CREATED WITH SUPPORT FROM THE MAINE PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION FEBRUARY 2016