Local women are being encouraged to live healthier lives for themselves and their babies. The Baby and Me Tobacco Free program began at the St. Joseph Health Department in May 2023.
It was established to help pregnant women and women who have delivered their babies to become tobacco-free and provide vouchers to help pay for diapers and wipes. “Missouri has a higher rate than the nation of smokers and vapers and people that use tobacco,” health educator Kay Smith said. About 16.
2% of women in Missouri smoke cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's most recent data in 2022. Out of the eight states that border Missouri, only Tennessee has a higher rate of women who smoke cigarettes at 16.7%.
Women who want to participate in Baby and Me Tobacco Free must call the health department and express interest in the program. “You have to be 36 weeks (pregnant) or under,” she said. “If you are a smoker or a vaper, you can join this program.
There's no income level or age or any other qualifications.” The program goes through a curriculum that requires participants to attend four prenatal sessions with a health department provider. “It goes through different things on how it affects your baby in utero and different things like that,” she said.
“So if you're 36 weeks (into pregnancy), you've missed four of the basic main classes.” At the beginning, participants are asked if they are ready to quit smoking or vaping. Once they are ready, a quit date is established.
“We start there and then you go through different ways to help deal with that,” she said. “If you feel like you're needing a cigarette or need to vape, let's go through some different ways to help you cope with that.” After four prenatal sessions are attended, participants can earn up to two $50 vouchers for diapers and wipes by testing tobacco-free at each visit.
Participants in the program take saliva tests for vaping and they blow into a small machine, like a breathalyzer, that detects whether they have been smoking. “You do have to be accountable to be in this program,” Smith said. “The first two sessions, you don’t get your voucher.
This is a very important part of this program — if you remain smoke-free, you can get a voucher on your third and fourth pregnancy visits.” Women can earn six additional vouchers by attending a learning session each month for six months after having their baby. Almost 20 women enrolled in the past year and four are actively participating in the program.
“I have had a couple of the participants really like the support that they’re getting to not smoke,” Smith said. “One of them said the vouchers has just saved her for diapers and wipes.”.
