The American Cancer Society has been celebrating the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November for forty years. Millions of smokers have taken advantage of this day to begin their quit program and move toward a life free of the burden of tobacco use. The Great American Smokeout will be observed on Thursday, November 16, 2017.
Every year approximately 16,200 Michigan residents die prematurely due to tobacco use. Evidence has linked smoking to diseases of nearly all organs of the body, which is why it remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death. In Michigan, 20.7% of Michigan adults, and 10% of Michigan youth smoke cigarettes. According to the 2014 Jackson County Community Health Assessment data, approximately 36% City of Jackson residents and 30% of County residents smoked.
The 2016 Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth data for Jackson County High Schoolers shows that approximately 6% of 9th graders and 12% of 11th graders indicated they had smoked cigarettes during the past 30 days. Young people, who are trying tobacco, maybe even for the first time, are more likely to become addicted to the nicotine in the cigarette or even smokeless tobacco product. Studies have shown that the earlier a person begins use, the higher the risk of lifetime addiction.
Tobacco products are highly addictive and most users must make several quit attempts before they are able to succeed. Quitters are most successful when using a combination of therapies, including resources such as nicotine replacement, counseling, self-help materials, and a strong support network of family and friends.
“The Great American Smokeout is an opportunity to remind tobacco users that they can be successful, and to support tobacco users in their efforts to quit,” stated Rhonda Rudolph, Coordinator, Jackson Tobacco Reduction Coalition / Smoke Free Health Action Team. “Quitting tobacco use is the single best thing you can do for your health. The positive effects on health are both short and long term, and quitting benefits everyone, regardless of age,” stated Richard Thoune, Jackson County Health Officer.
The Jackson County Health Department encourages all health care providers to ask their patients about tobacco use at every visit, provide advice to tobacco users about the benefits of quitting, and refer clients to the Michigan Tobacco Quitline (1-800-784-8669), Tobacco Treatment Specialist at Henry Ford Allegiance Health (517-205-7444) or Lifeways Tobacco and You: Learning About Healthy Living Program ((517) 780-3380.
For more information about the Michigan Tobacco Quitline visit https://michigan.quitlogix.org/ , or contact Rhonda Rudolph, Jackson Tobacco Reduction Coalition,(517) 768-2131. For more information about the Great American Smokeout visit the American Cancer Society's Web site at https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco.html
SOURCE: PRESS RELEASE
