 "Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death in the U.S.,"
said Illinois Department of Public Health Director LaMar Hasbrouck.
"By quitting smoking, you lower your risk for lung cancer and other
types of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease. If you can quit for just one day, you may find
you can quit for one week, one month, one year, and before you know
it, not smoking is your new healthy habit."Smoking is
responsible for nearly 1 in 3 cancer deaths, and 1 in 5 deaths from
all causes. Another 8.6 million people live with serious illnesses
caused by smoking.
Within 20 minutes of the last cigarette, a person's blood
pressure and pulse rate drop to normal, and body temperature in
hands and feet increases. Within nine hours of the last cigarette,
the carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal and the
oxygen level increases to normal. After going just one day without
smoking, a person's chance of a heart attack decreases.
Quitting tobacco use is hard, but people don't have to do it
alone. The Illinois Tobacco Quitline, 1-866-QUIT-YES
(1-866-784-8937), has counselors to provide expert advice, addiction
assessment, customized quit plans, quit kits, craving support and
follow-up. The Quitline is available anytime between 7 a.m. and 11
p.m. seven days a week, or visit the website
www.quityes.org for help. Also
find the Quitline on
Facebook and on Twitter.
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The Quitline is funded through the Illinois Department of Public
Health. Alerting the public of this helpful resource aligns the
Illinois Department of Public Health with its strategic plan to
become the state's public health authority, a place where
Illinoisans can turn for health information and education. For a
copy of the strategic plan, go to
http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/
StrategicPlan_Final_2014-2018.pdf.
[Text from
Illinois Department of Public
Health file received from the
Illinois Office of Communication and Information]
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