Customizable Letter To The Editor printable pdf download

Customizable Letter to the Editor

Ms. Jane Doe

Editor

(Newspaper)

123 Main St.

Anytown, USA

Dear Ms. Doe:

Every day, children in our community are exposed to secondhand smoke in their own homes.

(Name of your group) believes that if parents learn the facts about secondhand smoke and its health

effects on children, they’ll do the right thing and take their smoking outside. To help educate parents and

caretakers of young children about the risks of secondhand smoke, the (name of your organization), a

local coalition of health professionals and concerned citizens, has joined EPA to launch a public

education and awareness-building campaign on secondhand smoke. Come visit (name of your

organization) at the (title of health fair) on (date of health fair)! Parents and kids will learn about the

health effects of secondhand smoke during our (name of activity, such as a puppet show).

The science supporting smoke-free environments for children is strong. The U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that secondhand smoke (also known as environmental tobacco

smoke) is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and

young children under 18 months of age annually, resulting in between 7,500 and 15,000 hospitalizations

each year. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are also more likely to suffer from symptoms of

respiratory irritation like cough, excess phlegm, and wheezing. Secondhand smoke can lead to a buildup

of fluid in the middle ear, the most common cause of childhood operations requiring hospitalization.

(Insert local or state data on smoking rates if available.)

Most people know someone with a child who is asthmatic or experiences periodic health

problems. The only way to reduce the damaging effects of secondhand smoke is to encourage smokers to

not smoke around young children. Although it seems like a simple a solution, this action will have an

enormous impact on the lives of their children. If you are a parent, caregiver, or grandparent of a small

child, remember to keep children away from cigarette smoke, even if it means taking your own cigarette

break outside. For more information about the health effects of secondhand smoke and for upcoming

events, call (name of your organization) at (your local telephone number).

Yours Sincerely,

Your Name, Title

Your Organization

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Customizable Letter To The Editor