Thursday is the American Cancer Society’s annual Great American Smokeout.
It provides an opportunity for individuals to encourage people to take the first step toward becoming tobacco-free.
Steve Beekman of the Siouxland District Health Department says there are programs available to help local residents:
<<AUDIO \\NEWSDESK\C\APNEWS\PUBLIC\AUDIO\SMOKE1.MP3>>
OC……….of that nature. ;25
Beekman says quitting is hard and it may take some users up to 11 attempts before they are able to successfully quit smoking for good.
He says the Quitline program has a great success rate:
<<AUDIO \\NEWSDESK\C\APNEWS\PUBLIC\AUDIO\SMOKE2.MP3>>
OC………..after six months. :16
Recent data from the Community Health Needs Assessment for Siouxland shows that 18% of adults in the Siouxland area are current cigarette smokers.
Beekman says the American Cancer Society reports that nearly 7 out of 10 current adult smokers in the U.S. say they want to quit smoking completely:
The Smokeout is a good way to start that attempt:
<<AUDIO \\NEWSDESK\C\APNEWS\PUBLIC\AUDIO\SMOKE3.MP3>>
OC…………it all entails. ;13
Tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of death for Iowans, taking the lives of more than 4,400 adults each year.
For anyone who’s thinking about quitting, free cessation programs are available to help online at Quitline Iowa and My Life My Quit.
