Turlington: Model of Health

By Caitlin O'toole

05/26/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Model and ex-smoker Christy Turlington is speaking out about the dangers of smoking in an all-week series that will air on Oxygen television and the Web. "Women and Smoking: Seven Deadly Myths" features on-air and online programming aimed at convincing women ages 18-34 to become or stay smoke-free. "This is a very personal issue to me, having lost my father to lung cancer," Turlington is quoted in a press release for the series. "I hope that by showing the toll smoking takes on women, and the people they love, this video encourages women to quit smoking or to never start." The 32-year-old model, ex-smoker and anti-tobacco activist, who is engaged to actor-director Edward Burns, revealed last year that she has early-stage emphysema caused by her pack-a-day habit of 10 years. A nonsmoker since 1995, she has already filmed anti-smoking public service announcements for TV. The "Women and Smoking: Seven Deadly Myths" campaign airs exclusively on Oxygen television this week. In addition, ThriveOnline.com, Oxygen's health Web site, will present a 10-minute video-stream version of the segment.