Smoke-free Father’s Day

Father’s Day is the day we set aside each year to celebrate and thank dad for his many contributions. However, one thing that should not be celebrated this year or anytime, is dad’s addiction to tobacco.

A father’s influence on his children is great, and as a dad he should want to ensure that the decisions he makes are the right ones so that they do not negatively impact his children. When dad smokes, he is not only putting his life at risk, but is signaling to his family that is okay for them to follow in his footsteps.

The Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Poverty Network (WTPPN) is working to get the message out this Father’s Day that smoking rates among people in diverse populations are decreasing at a slower rate than the overall population. Therefore it is imperative that we as a community become aware of the tobacco industry’s savvy marketing tactics that target specific areas of Milwaukee in an effort to keep dad and his family addicted.

The love a father feels from his children on Father’s Day should be enough to make him want to quit smoking and as someone who loves their father unconditionally, we should all encourage him, if he is unable to quit on his own, to give up this deadly habit.