Great American Smoke-out is Thursday

By The Livingston County Department of Public Health

HOWELL, Michigan — If you or someone you know is thinking about quitting smoking, join thousands of people across the country on Thursday the American Cancer Society’s 36th Great American Smoke-out, to make a plan to quit for good.

“We are excited to highlight available resources for people who are interested in quitting,” states Jennifer Lavelle, Health Education Supervisor at the Livingston County Department of Public Health. “The Great American Smoke-out is a great day for people to quit or to set a date to quit, and for us to promote resources that are available year round.”

According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States.

Each year, smoking accounts for an estimated 400,000 premature deaths and approximately 50,000 deaths are caused by secondhand smoke exposure. Bringing these figures closer to home, in Michigan, nearly 13,000 people continue to die from disease caused by tobacco use and 1,740 people continue to die from disease caused by exposure to secondhand smoke.

Tobacco kills more people in Michigan than AIDS, alcohol, auto accidents, cocaine, heroin, murders and suicides – combined! (Division for Vital Records & Health Statistics, MDCH; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC Wonder Online Database and SAMMEC Online Database)

The use of cigarettes, cigars, spit tobacco, and other types of smokeless tobacco all pose serious health risks, such as an increased risk for cancer, heart attack, stroke, breathing problems and further complicate the health effects of diabetes. The toxins in secondhand smoke also pose serious and similar health risks to those exposed to it. So it is just as important to make all of your environments smoke-free as it is to quit smoking.

Quitting smoking also keeps your loved ones healthier by protecting them from the dangers of thirdhand smoke. Thirdhand smoke is the toxic residue that is left behind on surfaces such as furniture, carpet, and curtains, and even your skin, clothing, and hair. Making your home and car smoke-free are important steps toward keeping your loved ones more healthy and safe.

Quitting smoking has many health benefits for men and women of all ages. According to the American Cancer Society, smokers who quit begin to reverse the harmful health effects almost immediately and this process continues for years. After …

• 20 minutes blood pressure and pulse rates drop to normal and body temperature of hands and feet increase to normal.
• 8 hours, the carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal and the oxygen level in the blood increases to normal.
• 24 hours, chance of heart attack decreases.
• 48 hours, nerve endings start re-growing and ability to smell and taste is enhanced.
• 2 weeks to 3 months, circulation improves, walking becomes easier, and lung function increases up to 30 percent.
• 1 to 9 months, coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decrease. Cilia regain normal function in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection and the body’s overall energy increases.
• 1 year, excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.
• 5 years, lung cancer death rate for the average former smoker (one pack a day) decreases by almost half. Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5- 15 years after quitting. Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus is half that of a smokers.
• 10 years, lung cancer death rate is similar to that of nonsmokers, pre-cancerous cells are replaced, and the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.
• 15 years, the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker.

(Source: American Cancer Society; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Additionally, by not buying packs of expensive cigarettes, you’ll also be saving money – and in these times, every penny counts.

The Michigan Tobacco Quit Line services are available to eligible participants by calling 1800 QUIT NOW (784-8669). For information about the benefits of smoke-free homes, please visit www.mismokefreeapartment.org or www.epa.gov/smokefree.

Editor's note: This is a copy of a news release.