Sandy Read, Health and Wellness Educator with Saint Joseph Health System is also working the Tobacco Initiative in Marshall County.
Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States and takes 11,100 Hoosier lives every year.
Read said there are many reasons why men may want to quit smoking: men are more likely to be current cigarette smokers than women, the smoking rate for Hoosier men is 23.6%, which is higher than the U.S. adult male average of 17.5%. Men who smoke increase their risk of dying from bronchitis by nearly 10 times, from emphysema by nearly 10 times, from lung cancer by more than 22 times and from heart disease triples.
The Indiana Tobacco Quitline is a free phone-based counseling service that helps Hoosiers quit all tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco. There is also a web based counseling option (eQuitNow.com) and supplementary texting service, Text2Quit®. Services are available24/7 so call 1-800-QuitNow today or visit QuitNowIndiana.com.
Quitting smoking has numerous benefits, but perhaps the greatest of all is more time with family and loved ones.
There is a new coalition in our county, Breathe Easy Marshall County Alliance, that has become active to raise awareness concerning Tobacco as well as E-cigarette use with emphasis on youth and to purport smokefree air. You may also contact Mrs. Read at Sandra.read @sjrmc.com if you would like more information.
