Tobacco users encouraged to quit as part of the “Great American Smokeout”

BRIDGEPORT, W. Va. — On Thursday, organizations across the country will aim to help tobacco users smoke out their habit.

The American Cancer Society’s 38th Annual Great American Smokeout encourages those who wish to quit using tobacco or have tried to quit in the past give it up for one day.

“The biggest thing is to get people to try not smoking for a day or not using tobacco,” Mary Lough, Account Representative with the American Cancer Society said. “If they can try for one day, maybe they realize ‘Oh, wait. I can do this.'”

Though the number of tobacco users has continued to decrease, according to the American Cancer Society, 42 million American still smoke, resulting in 4433,300 premature death per year.

The event, which is held every year on the third Thursday in November, combines the efforts to educate from hospitals across the country along with organizations like the American Heart Association.

Eliminating smoking is one of the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Simple 7” steps to reducing the chances for heart disease, due to the complications it creates.

As Tricia Desvarro, the Harrison County Director for the American Heart Association, explained, smoking “robs you of some of your good cholesterol. It temporarily raises your blood pressure, and when your blood pressure is raised, you’re at a greater risk for stroke. It increases your blood’s clotting likelihood, which also increases your risk for a stroke. Smoking makes it difficult for you to exercise and thereby decreases your heart health overall.”

One of the hospitals in the Mountain State participating in the event is United Hospital Center, where Cheryl Farley is the director of cardiac and pulmonary rehab and see many patients who both smoke and quit smoking.

She said one of the major points they want to drive home during the Smokeout is how soon one’s body starts to recover after giving up smoking.

For example, within 20 minutes, heart rate and blood pressure drop, in 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood stream go back to normal and between two weeks and three months, circulation improves and lung functioning increases.

Farley enjoys watching patients who give up smoking start to enjoy food again.

“Their taste buds come back to life and they’re able to taste food,” she said. “It’s amazing watching them adjusting their diet. Things they may have loved before, they don’t like now and things they never tried before, they really enjoy.”

Whether a person wants to try quitting by themselves or with a support group, the organizations plan to have as many resources for them as possible.

The American Cancer Society will have information available at all the venues taking part in the event, as well as a website with tips for quitting and an app that works to help guide the user through the process of giving up the habit.

The day is not only for tobacco users, however. Lough encourages those with loved ones who smoke to be there for them with a support system.

“We really encourage people to do something that’s going to be positive [Thursday],” she said. “Encourage those that you know that are quitting.”

More information about the Great American Smokeout and resources on quitting can be found at cancer.org/smokeout or by calling 1-800-227-2345.





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