The Great American Smokeout is Nov. 15

The Four Corners Partnership and Rice County Public Health Nursing Service want to remind everyone that the 37th Great American Smokeout will take place on Thursday, November 15, 2012.  This annual event is sponsored by the American Cancer Society.  The purpose of the Smokeout is to encourage smokers to quit. 

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing about one out of every five deaths.  In Minnesota, about 625,000 adults still smoke.  Each year, tobacco use is responsible for more than 5,100 deaths and almost $3 billion in preventable health care costs in our state alone.

For decades, Minnesota has had consistent, significant declines in smoking, but now smoking rates for adults have stalled at approximately 16 percent. According to Lisa Guck, Rice County Coordinator for the Four Corners Partnership, “Our young people continue to smoke at higher rates than the general population, with 6,800 kids becoming daily smokers each year.”

The tobacco industry spends over $150 million per year to market its products in Minnesota to retain current smokers and recruit a new generation of “replacement smokers”.  Youth and young adults are prime targets for tobacco marketing.  Nearly 90% of adult smokers start smoking before they are 18 years old. 

One of the most effective ways to prevent youth smoking and to encourage smokers to quit is to increase tobacco prices by increasing the sales tax on tobacco.  Minnesota currently ranks 28th in the nation for its tobacco tax.

Smokers who get help to quit are much more likely to succeed.  Most health insurance plans provide quit smoking services for their members at no cost as part of their preventive care. 

QUITPLAN also provides free help to quit smoking to anyone who lives, works or goes to school in Minnesota.  This includes a Helpline (1-888-354-PLAN) that offers telephone counseling and free nicotine patches, lozenges or gum to eligible callers. 

Learn more at: www.4cornerspartnership.org