The Peoria City/County Health Department announces that Thursday, November 19th, 2009 is the 34th annual Great American Smokeout Day. On this day, the Health Department is urging the citizens of Peoria County who smoke to quit smoking and enjoy the health benefits.
In Illinois, 21% of the population smokes and in Peoria County, 15% of the population smokes. Every year, more than 20,000 Illinoisans die as a result of cigarette smoking. In the United States, 1 out of 5 deaths are attributed to smoking each year. This is more deaths than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicides, drugs, and fires combined.
Once someone quits smoking, the health benefits begin. Within 20 minutes of quitting, blood pressure and heart rate decrease. Within 8 hours of quitting, the oxygen level in the blood increases to normal. Within 24 hours of quitting, the chance of a heart attack decreases and the lung function begins to improve. Five to 15 years after quitting, the risk of many diseases, including cancer and stroke, decreases dramatically.
The Health Department is teaming up with the Reality Illinois, a teen led smoke free group, sponsored by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The group will host a BOWL COLD TURKEY event at the Hult Health Education Center from 4:30 – 6:30 pm on November 19, 2009, in honor of the Great American Smokeout. The goal of the event is to encourage people to quit smoking or refrain from using tobacco products for 24 hours or longer. Bowling COLD TURKEY is a fun way to appeal to tobacco users and is just ONE way to quit smoking. At the event, participants will bowl, turn in their cigarettes or smokeless tobacco and sign a smoke free pledge to keep their home and car smoke free for 24 hours or longer. They will also receive fun resources from the Peoria City/County Health Department to help them quit.
The Health Department also offers a smoking cessation program called “Break the Habit” funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Free nicotine patches and a telephone counseling service are available through the Illinois Tobacco Quitline. Any Peoria County resident who wishes to participate in the program can contact the Tobacco Quitline at 1-866-QUIT-YES or the Peoria City/County Health Department at 679-6131 for more information.
