Are You Ready To Kick the Nicotine Habit

Galesburg, IL- The Knox County Health Department is encouraging smokers to make 2008 the year to quit smoking. The Department will be offering the American Cancer Society’s Freshstart  program starting on Wednesday, January 16, 2008.  The program will be held on consecutive Wednesday’s throughout the months of January and February from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  Cost of the program is $10 per participant with money being refunded upon completion of the program.    
        
Freshstart is a four-session stop smoking clinic where the instructor will teach a step-by-step method for changing behavior and quitting smoking.  The clinic includes the latest improved skills for good stress management, weight control, assertive communication, exercise, and pitfalls of relapse – skills to help them succeed.  This group approach uses positive thinking, alternative behaviors, one-on-one help, rewards and group support to help participants stop smoking.

Tobacco causes approximately 440,000 premature deaths each year. According to the Behavior Risk Factor Survey data for 2004, 22.6% of Knox County residents smoke; 56.7% began smoking prior to the age of 18.

“The good news is that the majority of these smokers say they want to quit,” states Carrie Neff Andrews, Director of Health Education for the Knox County Health Department. “The truth is that millions of Americans who once smoked, no longer do. The average person takes several tries before they can conquer a nicotine addiction. What better time to resolve to quit smoking than at the beginning of a new year?”

Once an individual quits smoking, their health begins to improve immediately. According to stop-smoking literature, the heart rate decreases within 20 minutes of one’s last cigarette; within 12 hours the carbon monoxide level in the blood returns to normal. Within a couple of weeks lung function increases and the risk for heart attack decreases. After a year, the risk for coronary heart disease is cut in half of that of a current smoker.

The Knox County Health Department offers a variety of tobacco prevention and cessation programming for all ages. For more information, contact the Knox County Health Department at 309-344-2224, or visit the Department’s website at www.knoxcountyhealth.org.