PORTSMOUTH – Community Action Organization of Scioto County, Inc. (CAO) was
recently awarded funding from the Ohio Department of Health for its new Moms Quit for Two
Program. The program offers tailored support to expectant mothers to quit smoking and the ability for
them to earn FREE DIAPERS!
Services provided through CAO’s Moms Quit for Two program align with the BABY & ME – Tobacco
Free ProgramTM which was recently designated a “Best Practice” by the Association of Maternal and
Child Health Programs (AMCHP). The BABY & ME – Tobacco Free ProgramTM is a smoking cessation
program that helps pregnant women and a support partner quit smoking while pregnant and remain
quit after the baby is born. Through a series of face-to-face counseling sessions with CAO nurses,
women and their families are given tools and support needed to make a successful quit attempt and
are rewarded with vouchers for free diapers when successful.
Pregnant women who smoke have an extra motivation to quit – the health of their unborn child.
Smoking during pregnancy can lead to low birthweight infants and premature birth. In the longer
term, maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with a range of poor outcomes in children
including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cognitive dysfunction. Children who
grow up in smoke-free homes enjoy many health benefits, so it is equally important to remain quit
after the baby is born.
According to Steve Sturgill, CAO Executive Director, “much of our programming is focused on
eliminating disparities faced by our most vulnerable populations and ultimately improving the social
determinants of health in the local and regional area. Developing a healthier community begins with
supporting pregnant women and their families.”
“We’re excited to be able to bring these in-person services to the community, which were previously
only available virtually. Many pregnant women who smoke that we see are interested in quitting, so
CAO now offers a way for them to be free from their tobacco addiction. It’s a matter of improving the
health of both the mother and her unborn children,” said Luanne Valentine, CAO’s Workforce and
Community Development Director.
Those interested in helping the next generation live tobacco-free and learning more about CAO’s
Moms Quit for Two program as well as other programming aimed at improving maternal health,
should contact Aurora Webb or Sharon Otworth at 740-354-7545 or visit CAO’s South Campus office
located at 411 – 2nd Street in Portsmouth, Ohio.