MOTHERS-TO-BE SMOKE ON

ONLY one in six women give up smoking when they become pregnant, despite
knowing the potential dangers to their baby's health, according to a Health
Education Authority report published in the British Medical Journal today.

Research shows that although women are increasingly aware of the dangers of
smoking during pregnancy, they carry on. More than one in four pregnant
women are lighting up, a figure unchanged since 1992.

Dr Lesley Owen, co-author of the report said: "There has been no change in
the number of pregnant smokers over the past five years, despite the well
established dangers."

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski