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TEMPO teams up with 'Smokeout'
Published Wednesday, November 19, 2008
DEMOPOLIS — Demopolis mayor Mike Grayson will sign a proclamation this morning declaring today the Great American Smokeout and challenging smokers to give up cigarettes or cut down tobacco use for one day.
“This is a day when non-smokers need to encourage smokers by offering them moral support as they give up smoking for 24 hours,” said Marengo County tobacco prevention coordinator Niko Phillips.
Phillips said that in the Demopolis area and the rest of Alabama, the consequences of smoking are devastating.
“More than 7,400 Alabamians die each year as a result of tobacco use,” she said, “and some 420 to 1,190 adult non-smokers die annually from exposure to secondhand smoke. In Alabama, more than 22 percent of adults and more than 26 percent of high-schoolers smoke.”
Tobacco users who want to quit in Alabama can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) for free counseling services to assist them in quitting smoking. The Alabama Tobacco Quitline offers free individualized counseling to help smokers and smokeless tobacco users kick the habit. The Quitline offers four weeks of free nicotine patches to those medically eligible.
“The benefits of quitting smoking are numerous,” Phillips said. “According to the American Cancer Society, the risk of heart attack decreases within 24 hours of not smoking. Additionally, the risk of cancer, stroke and lung disease is greatly reduced.”
The proclamation and local Great American Smokeout initiative is also being coordinated by TEMPO, Teens Empowering and Motivating their Peers to Opt out.
The principle objective of “TEMPO” is to assist Alabama Tobacco Prevention and Control Division in focusing on how Second-Hand-Smoke (SHS) affects the people, particularly the youth, of Marengo County.
The American Cancer Society lists the following strategies while quitting smoking for a day:
Stay positive by picturing yourself successfully not smoking that day.
Perform relaxation exercises when you feel the urge to smoke.
Nibble on low-calorie snacks or chew gum during the day.
After dinner, try a cup of tea instead of a cigarette.
For more information, contact Phillips at (334) 877-2876.
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