Now is the Time to Quit Smoking

by Contributor | November 21, 2010 9:08 pm

Submitted by Oswego County

The American Cancer Society schedules the Great American Smoke-out each year to encourage people to quit smoking for a day in the hope that they may quit for good. This year’s event was held on Thursday, November 18 and thousands of people across the country put down their packs and began a quit plan.

New York State provides a quit-line to give smokers the support they need to stop smoking. In addition to live telephone coaching, smokers can receive free nicotine patches, help with a quit plan from a trained Quit Coach and round-the-clock pre-recorded support messages.

Smoking has long been associated with lung cancer, a disease which affects many Americans. Nearly 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with lung cancer and more than 90,000 people die from the disease each year. Death from lung cancer represents nearly one out of every six cancer deaths in this country.

Dr. Dennis Norfleet, public health director of the Oswego County Health Department shares the following tips for reducing the risk of developing lung cancer:

• Don’t smoke. If you do smoke, quit now.
• Avoid secondhand smoke. There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure.
• Have your home tested for radon and take corrective actions if high levels are found.
• Avoid unnecessary medical tests that involve X-ray images of the chest.
• Follow health and safety guidelines in the workplace.

If you or someone you know is interested in quitting smoking, call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) or visit https://www.nysmokefree.com/[1].

For more information about lung cancer or quitting smoking, call the Oswego County Health Department weekdays at 349-3547 or 1-800-596-3200 ext. 3547.

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/oswegohealth/health/now-is-the-time-to-quit-smoking/

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