Public Health News Release:
GREAT AMERICAN
SMOKEOUT CHALLENGE:
The Great American Smokeout Day is November 18, 2010
Commit to Quit by 2011
Any adult in our country today can tell you the dangers of smoking. Cancer, heart
disease, chronic respiratory illness, emphysema. These are also the dangers of second
hand smoke. But, smoking isn’t a personal life choice for everyone who smokes. For
many, it is an addiction that they despise. The majority of smokers want to quit.
The addiction doesn’t care what walk of life you are from, how intelligent you are,
whether or not you want to quit, or what your job is. The nicotine addiction is
as strong as the addiction to heroine or cocaine. But like other addictions, nicotine
can be beat.
There are many tools available to assist in this fight: online
tools and coaches, health plan telephone coaching, nicotine replacement therapy,
available free through Quit Plan to those who do not have insurance, and Zyban,
Wellbutrin and Chantix prescriptions. There are also alternative approaches: acupuncture
and hypnosis. Public Health will be sharing those tools with you over the next couple
of weeks, so that by November 18th, smokers who want to
quit can join in the Commit to Quit for the Great American Smokeout.
The Aitkin Independent Age will be running the stories of former smokers who beat the addiction. Public Health’s own Jody Philipp will blog her experience at acgreatamericansmokout.blogspot.com, as she makes the Commit to Quit on November 18th and journeys through the quitting process with the aim of being done with tobacco by 2011. Information about different quit alternatives are linked to the site and will be presented in the blog. The staff at Public Health is challenging other Quitters to blog with Jody, former smokers to offer tips and advice on the blog, and everyone to offer support to all of those Proud to Quit in 2010!
So, it is time. Time to take the hand up, fight the addiction, and join us in the Commit to Quit by 2011.
"Help to Quit" Links...
Health Plan Links
Online Cessation Links
Residential Treatment