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Monthly Board Report - February 2001
Quit Smoking 2001
Submitted by Yves Decoste, Public Health Nurse
For those smokers who plan on quitting, here is some added incentive to help you keep that New Year’s resolution.
Once again, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has approved funding for this year’s Quit and Win Contest. The launch of the contest is planned around National Non-Smoking Week, the week of January 15, 2001. Smokers are asked to be smoke-free from March 1, 2001 to March 31, 2001 in order to be eligible for great prizes that include a cruise, DVD players and his or hers watches.
Each year in Ontario, 3,000 lung cancer deaths are attributed to tobacco use. Research tells us that a man who currently smokes has a 1 in 6 lifetime chance of developing cancer, versus 1 in 77 for a man who has never smoked regularly. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), also known as chronic bronchitis or emphysema, is another serious respiratory disease caused by smoking. Tobacco use is responsible for 83-90% of all cases. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death for men and seventh for women and affects 300,000 Ontarians.
Unfortunately, few Ontarians recognize tobacco as a risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Smokers are three times more likely to have a stroke than non-smokers. At the same time, we know that the risk of coronary heart disease, including fatal heart attacks, begins to lessen immediately following smoking cessation.
Quitters can register for Quit and Win 2001 at the Health Unit until March 1, 2001. Glaxo Smith Kline (formerly Glaxo-Wellcome) is also sponsoring the contest and they will be contacting doctor’s offices and workplaces (through the Industrial Accident Prevention Association).
Simcoe County is hosting the QS2001 contest on their website to which our Health Unit website has a link. CTV has also partnered in this initiative with advertisements.
Participants can register online at www.healthunit.org, visit their physician or contact the Health Unit for more information at 1-800-660-5853. |
