Mikala Collins and Andrew Jobe know first-hand how important it is to protect their son from the effects of smoking. When Mikala found out she was pregnant, she joined the Baby and Me Tobacco Free Program (BMTFP) at Healthy Communities. BMTFP is a program set up to specifically help pregnant women and their partners quit smoking through classes and cessation counseling.
Healthy Communities has been the site of BMTFP for six years now but has really expanded the program in the last few years. As long as a participant quits smoking prior to the birth of their baby, she receives a $25 voucher to receive free diapers and wipes at any Walmart location. Another $25 voucher is given for up to one year after taking a nicotine test each month to prove she is still smoke free at the Healthy Communities office. If a participant joins with a partner, like Mikala and Andrew, each participant receives a $25 voucher.
The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) recently updated the state of Tobacco Control for Indiana, including county specific data for Clinton County. In 2017, Clinton County’s smoking and pregnancy/births affected by smoking were an average of 85 woman, which equates to over $115,000. Clinton County’s percentage of pregnant women who were smoking was 19.1%, compared to Indiana’s average of 13.5%. However, for the 2019 data just released, Clinton County’s smoking pregnancy/births affected by smoking dropped to an average of 76, which lowers the cost to the county by almost $25,000. Clinton County’s percentage of pregnant women who were smoking also dropped by 2% to 17.1%!
These percentages and numbers may not seem like much, but to have that sort of an impact in just two short years is something to celebrate! Healthy Communities attributes these drops, in part, specifically to BMTFP. “Proof is in the pudding,” states Emily Bossung, facilitator of the Baby and Me Tobacco Free Program at Healthy Communities, “these statistics go to show how important and impactful the Baby and Me program is for our community and the state of Indiana.”
Mikala and Andrew know first-hand how BMTFP can positively affect not only their lives, but also their son’s life, “Thank you so much to the Baby and Me Program and facilitators! We appreciate being part of your program!”, says Mikala. Mikala and Andrew recently completed BMTFP after receiving their vouchers for a full year. “We are so proud of Mikala and Andrew’s efforts to live a smoke-free lifestyle for their family,” states Bossung.
The Baby and Me Tobacco Free Program is located at Healthy Communities at 1458 Oak Street, Suite B, Frankfort. Healthy Communities also serves Tippecanoe, Carroll, and Hamilton Counties with the BMTFP with classes and locations in each of those areas. For more information, contact Emily Bossung at Healthy Communities at 765-659-6063.