Tobacco use is among the leading preventable causes of premature death, accounting for more than 480,000 fatalities each year in the United States. It’s also been estimated that over 30 million Americans still smoke cigarettes and about 15 million are living with a smoking-related disease. That’s a lot of people.
Smoking doesn’t just impact the person smoking — it also impacts those around them. Secondhand smoke accounts for more than 41,000 deaths per year.
These are some good reasons for anyone who smokes to use the Great American Smokeout as their first day toward a smoke-free lifestyle.
Quitting tobacco is not easy, but there are more and better tobacco-cessation aids available than ever before. According to a study in the “New England Journal of Medicine,” quitting before age 40 reduces your chance of dying prematurely from a smoking-related disease by 90%.
Health Promotion Services will be available Nov. 18 in Wright-Patterson Medical Center’s Atrium from 9:30 a.m. to noon and at Wright Field Fitness Center (Bldg. 571, Area B gym) from 2:30 to 4 p.m. to provide information about tobacco awareness and cessation resources. Join the Great American Smokeout and quit tobacco for a day.
Call Michael Papio, the 88th Medical Group’s health promotion coordinator, at 937-904-9358 for more information.
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