New Smyrna Couple Among First To Enroll In 'Baby & Me -Tobacco Free' Program

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New Smyrna Beach, FL - A New Smyrna Beach couple has welcomed a healthy new baby boy after the couple was one of the first to enroll in the Volusia County Department of Health's (DOH) Baby & Me - Tobacco Free program. Latasha Martin and her partner, Willie Brown, celebrated the birth of their son, Jayden, on November 30. Martin enrolled in the program while she was pregnant, and she and her partner plan to continue the program until their baby's first birthday. “These parents live a few miles away from the program location and walk to every appointment,” Patricia Boswell, DOH-Volusia administrator says. “They are setting a wonderful example for their child, family, and friends by quitting tobacco and being physically active. They walk everywhere they go.” The program focuses on low-income women, the largest group of those who smoke during pregnancy. The program collaborates with local agencies that provide prenatal services to low-income populations. DOH-Volusia provides training and testing equipment. Partnering agencies also offer prenatal cessation sessions and support for quitting and staying tobacco-free. Participants are also tested for tobacco use. Since the program’s launch, Volusia County DOH has enrolled 40 mothers in the Baby & Me - Tobacco Free program, which is held in locations across Volusia County. Ten of their babies have been born tobacco-free. Volusia County was the first in the state to offer this program, which is offered at Bethune-Cookman University, the YMCA DeLand, and DOH-Volusia’s New Smyrna Beach location. Enrollment and participation are free. Mothers in the program who stay tobacco-free may receive monthly $25 vouchers for diapers for up to a year. New and expectant mothers interested in breaking their tobacco addiction can call DOH-Volusia at 386-274-0601. Photo of Martin, Brown, and baby Jayden courtesy Volusia DOH. Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2017.