11:58:00 PM
This year marks the 38th year for the Great American Smokeout started by the American Cancer Society (ACS) to encourage smokers to quit their habit one day. Since 1976, every third Thursday of November has been celebrated as the Great American Smokeout in which the ACS urges people to put cigarettes aside for one day and not forever. Main reason behind asking people to quit smoking for 24 hours is to improve their health and may be encourage smokers to quit their habit.
ACS Celebrates 38th Year of The Great American Smokeout
Stephanie Willey, Blessing Cancer Center Community Outreach Educator, said their aim is to make many Americans quit smoking. According to sources, about 20% (more than 43.6 million people) of US adults smoke cigarettes and tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States. The group reported that about 30% of deaths from cancer are caused due to tobacco use. Kathy Oaks, Senior Market Manager for the American Cancer Society, said that some people quit smoking on their own or by use of some medicines.
The Florida Department of Health is celebrating the 40th annual Great American Smokeout by reminding Floridians of Tobacco Free Florida’s proven-effective resources to help smokers quit. It has been reported that just two weeks after quitting smoking, body’s lung function and circulation improves.
Symptoms of lung cancer often do not show up until the later stages of the disease, hence the need for screening. They include persistent cough, coughing up blood, unexplained weight loss, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
After deciding to quit smoking, the health benefits start immediately, even if you have an existing smoking-related disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarettes kill more than 480,000 Americans each year. Quitting while you are younger reduces your health risks more, but quitting at any age can give back years of life that would be lost by continuing to smoke.
National Lung Cancer Awareness Month
November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. It might be a time for smokers to think about quitting.
Here are some of the top reasons to kick the habit:
1. Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, resulting in approximately 480,000 premature deaths and more than $300 billion in direct health care expenditures and productivity losses each year
2. The CDC reports that as of 2011 Nevada’s percentage of adults who currently smoke cigarettes was 22.9 percent, ranking us 35th among the states and D.C.
3. Less than 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your heart rate will already start to drop back towards normal levels (CDC, 2004).
4. The heart attack rate for smokers is 70 percent higher than for nonsmokers. Within 24 hours after quitting smoking, your risk for heart attack will already have begun to drop.
5. After a year of not smoking the risk of heart disease is lowered by 50 percent compared to when you were smoking.
6. Within one month after quitting, your lungs begin to repair.
2. The CDC reports that as of 2011 Nevada’s percentage of adults who currently smoke cigarettes was 22.9 percent, ranking us 35th among the states and D.C.
3. Less than 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your heart rate will already start to drop back towards normal levels (CDC, 2004).
4. The heart attack rate for smokers is 70 percent higher than for nonsmokers. Within 24 hours after quitting smoking, your risk for heart attack will already have begun to drop.
5. After a year of not smoking the risk of heart disease is lowered by 50 percent compared to when you were smoking.
6. Within one month after quitting, your lungs begin to repair.
Quitting smoking at any age reduces risks
Q: Am I at risk for lung cancer even after I quit smoking?
A: The risk of lung cancer decreases and continues to decrease the longer you are smoke-free. However, the damage from smoking can never be completely undone.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarettes kill more than 480,000 Americans each year. Quitting while you are younger reduces your health risks more, but quitting at any age can give back years of life that would be lost by continuing to smoke.
After deciding to quit smoking, the health benefits start immediately, even if you have an existing smoking-related disease. Some benefits include decreased risk of:
Stroke and heart attack.
Lung function decline.
Lung cancer.
Diabetes.
Pregnancy-related complications.
Osteoporosis and bone fracture.
Gum disease.
Lung function decline.
Lung cancer.
Diabetes.
Pregnancy-related complications.
Osteoporosis and bone fracture.
Gum disease.
If you are, or were, a longtime smoker, you should get screened for lung cancer. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual screening for those ages 55 to 80 who have a 30-pack per year smoking history, and who currently smoke or who have quit within the last 15 years.
Symptoms of lung cancer often do not show up until the later stages of the disease, hence the need for screening. They include persistent cough, coughing up blood, unexplained weight loss, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
Most insurance plans, including Medicare, cover a low-dose chest CAT scan. If you fit the criteria or have these symptoms, talk to your doctor about getting screened. Check with your insurer and ask whether there is a co-pay. Additionally, your physician must write a prescription to perform the screening.
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