Take a step toward saving your life: Quit smoking

By: | TriCities.com
Published: November 19, 2009

Despite the strides made nationally to reduce smoking and the use of tobacco products, about a third of the adults in our region still do.

Today, the Great American Smokeout, is a day to consider going tobacco free as an initial step toward more permanent change.
Cancer.org offers a wealth of resources for people trying to quit and encourages people to find the right mix of support, advice and

possibly medicine to help them quit for good. Nicotine addiction has a powerful hold on millions of Americans and smoking-related illness is

blamed for about 400,000 deaths each year in the United States. That’s more than 7,000 deaths per week, every week.
Health concerns often top the list of reasons to quit. Smoking damages nearly every organ in the human body and has been linked to at least

15 different cancers. And about half of all smokers who continue to smoke will die from a smoking-related illness. Locally, hospital

administrators have estimated that about two-thirds of admissions are for illnesses related to smoking – obvious ones like heart attack or

stroke, and associated problems like asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
And as the cost of tobacco products increase, especially during a recession, more Americans are trying to quit to save cash and help their

health.
For help to quit, consult with your health care provider or read more about support and resources on Cancer.org. Taking one day’s break from

tobacco use could be the springboard you need to get on a path to quit for good. It is a step that will improve your health, save you money

and break the cycle of nicotine addiction in your life.