Page 36 - November 2021 Issue.indd

Tips, Classes and
H ealth C orner Programs to help

you live healthier!

No matter your age or how long you’ve • Tell friends and family about
been smoking, quitting improves health your quit date.
both immediately and over the long • Seek out support and free
term. Giving up smoking is a journey,
resources, like the Caroline
The Great American Smoke Out and it can be hard, but you can increase County Health Department
your chances of success with a good and the Maryland Quit Line,
By Leigh Marquess, RN plan and support. Getting help through 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
counseling and medications doubles or
About 32.4 million American adults still • Stock up on oral substitutes –
smoke cigarettes, and smoking remains even triples your chances of quitting
successfully. sugarless gum, carrot sticks, or
the single largest preventable cause of
hard candy.
death and illness in the world. Smoking Are you thinking about quitting
causes an estimated 480,000 deaths tobacco? Research shows that if you • Make sure you have lots of water
every year, or about one in fi ve deaths. pick a quit day that is within the next on hand – this will help fl ush out
More than 16 million Americans live 30 days and stick to it, you’ll be more those toxins.
with a smoking-related disease. likely to succeed in quitting. Every • Think back to your other

November, the American Cancer attempts to quit. Try to fi gure
While the rates of cigarette smoking have
Society sets aside the third Th ursday to out what worked and what didn’t
declined over the past several decades,

encourage smokers to go the distance, work for you. There is no one
from 42% in 1965 to 13.7% in 2019,
and to finally give up smoking. Why not right way to quit; it’s whatever

the gains have been inconsistent. Some
pick the date of the American Cancer will work for you!
groups smoke more heavily or at higher
Society’s “Great American Smoke Out”
rates and suff er disproportionately on Thursday, November 18th, as your Quitting tobacco is a process and it

from smoking-related cancer and other takes a strong commitment over a long

diseases. These populations tend to quit date? period of time. Tobacco users may wish
be those who experience inequities in By quitting, even if it’s just for one there was a magic pill or method that
multiple areas of their lives, including day, you will be taking an important would make quitting painless and easy,
those at lower socioeconomic levels, step toward a healthier life — one that but, unfortunately, there is no such
those without college degrees, can lead to reducing your disease and thing. Nicotine substitutes can help
American Indians/Alaska natives, cancer risk. reduce withdrawal symptoms, but they
African American/Black communities, are most eff ective when used as part of
Here are some tips to prepare for your
LGBTQ communities, those in the a plan that addresses both the physical
quit date:
military, those with behavioral health and psychological components of
conditions, and others. • Pick your quit date and mark it quitting tobacco. Quitting isn’t easy, but
on your calendar. it’s worth it! Think about your reasons

for wanting to quit – Your health? Your
family? Your children? To save money?
DOT/CDL To have freedom from addiction? Th ere
are lots of great reasons to quit tobacco.
MEDICAL EXAMS

Complying with New
Government Requirements

FMCSA Certified Physician
C.E. Jensen, MD
Prompt
Service Competitive
Price 410-924-8560

Evenings and Saturdays by appointment
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