How Does Your Garden Grow?

Taking Care of Others

To really stamp out the unhealthy effects of tobacco use, we all need to do more than take care of ourselves and our own friends and families.

Second hand smoke has real health effects, like causing an infant to have an asthma attack, that can be brought on even by a brief exposure outdoors.

In housing complexes, smoke often seeps through all the units. That’s why people are talking about ideas like no smoking in outdoor areas at restaurants or having tobacco free housing complexes. 

Many experts believe policies like these are the best way to help clear the air for the whole community.

I’m not saying what you should decide and there are surely two sides to argument about whether more rules about tobacco free places are the right way to go. But it’s surely worth talking about!

We hope you will join us in the effort to get people talking about ways we can reduce exposure to second-hand smoke such as:

□ Making sure people don’t smoke around children indoors or outdoors

□ Having smoke free homes and housing complexes

Please enter and post a comment to let us know that you will participate in this dialogue by sharing what you will talk about with others and who you will talk to (not by actual name but rather by title, such as friend, co-worker, apartment manager, restaurant owner, etc.).  Also, tell us what action you would like to see taken to reduce exposure to second hand smoke. 

   A GOOD REASON TO QUIT!

1 Center for Disease Control

2 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The NSDUH Report: Use of Menthol Cigarettes. Rockville, MD; 2009

3 U.S. Surgeon General, 2012 Report “Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults”

4 Dr. Alfred McAlister, University of Texas School of Public Health

Some Helpful Resources

uCenter for Disease Control

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/how_to_quit/quit_tips/index.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/how_to_quit/pathways/pdfs/pathways.pdf

uAmerican College of Cardiology, Cardio Smart™

Text “Prevent” to CARDIO (227346) to get 120 messages over 2 months to help you quit smoking

uLive Tobacco Free Austin

  Resources and tips for quitting; tobacco & smoke-free   housing and more

 http://www.livetobaccofreeaustin.org/quit.php  

uSeton Healthcare Family

  Smoking Cessation Classes

http://www.seton.net/locations/seton_tobacco_education_resource_center/ 

            or call (512) 324-2762

uNational African American Tobacco Prevention Network

http://www.naatpn.org/

We want to hear from you!

What’s your status?

1. I will never start smoking.

2. I do smoke, but have made up my mind to quit.

3. I have quit and there is no turning back.

4. I am encouraging someone I love to quit.

Reply Options

To respond text atxnotobacco with a space and then your response (1, 2, 3 or 4) to 84444 (text charges may apply)

A BRIGHT IDEA!

 

Shirlet Fowler is a Registered Nurse:

 How can I tell patients to get more exercise if I  

 don’t do it myself? So I started a walking group.

 

 

 

 

We are now going 3 or more miles once or twice every day. My Aunt

has lost 10 pounds. Another’s cholesterol is under 200 now. We

all FEEL better! But we get more than that out of our workouts:

            

We talk about what’s going on…

Our walks are like group therapy!

 

 

Thanks to great walkability around my friend’s house we can

meet and go from there. Nobody wants to miss it or be late.

They’re getting real health benefits and having fun!

 

 

WE GET IN 10 OR MORE HOURS PER WEEK!

  THIS IS “MODERATE TO VIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Dr. Stephen Pont, AISD Medical Director

 

Being active is fun. It burns fat and stress, and it helps prevent
diabetes, heart attacks, strokes and cancer. I try now to get at
least 2-3 hours of activity every week, more when we can as a
family. Can you be active too? Try setting a weekly medal goal:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Gold, Silver & Bronze – Activity Goals

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Set your goal and get support:

 



Text Active & your goal to 84444*

Please visit: www.aaahct.org
Partners: www.latinohealthcareforum.org
www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/campuses/Austin
SPANISH BLOG: www.manantialdesaluddoversprings.blogspot.com
*Text charges may apply

HERE'S WHAT WE DO...

Roz Davis

 

I am at the SILVER level, at least 2 1/2 hours a week! 

 

 

Rosemary McKnight

I am at the SILVER level, at least 2 1/2 hours a week!

Justin and Valerie Fruege

We are at the GOLD level, at least 5 hours a week!

 

 

Roscoe Overton, Sr.

I am at the BRONZE level, at least 1 1/2 hours a week!

 

Amara Robertson

I love playing tennis four hours a week!

 

 

Zakiya Robertson

I love playing tennis after school four or fives hours a week!

 

 

Rodney Delmore

I am at the GOLD level, at least 5 hours a week! 

 

 

Angela Organ

I am at the BRONZE level, at least 1 1/2 hours a week!

 

Zumba Class at St. James Baptist Church

Zumba class held an hour each week in your neighborhood!

 

University of Texas Expert Dr. Bill Kohl

Explains Guidelines for Healthy Activity

 

JOIN US IN THE CHALLENGE!



 

"LITTLE DUDES"
ARE ACTIVE

 

 

"We want to give kids a healthy start in life!" Pat Smith runs her

preschool like a fitness camp: Children get led in 1 to 2 hours of real

active play every day, with plenty of time for free play too.

The playground has shaded areas and lots of fun things to play with and on.

The staff works hard to keep the children moving, outside and in.

How many preschools have yoga classes?

Little Dudes does all it can to build healthy lifestyles!