By Jessica M. Minder

f you are thinking about quitting smoking but not sure you’re ready to take the plunge maybe the Great American Smokeout is for you.

Island County Public Health and Whidbey General Hospital are celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Great American Smokeout on Thursday, Nov. 15. With the implementation of Initiative 901, an amendment to the Washington Clean Indoor Air Act that prohibits smoking in public places and workplaces to protect employees and the public from secondhand smoke, there has never been a better time to quit smoking and enjoy the health benefits.

On Nov. 15, Island County residents who smoke and want to quit are urged to visit the information booth at Whidbey General Hospital from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., call the Washington State Tobacco Quitline at 1-877-270-7867, or visit www.quitline.com for more information.

The information booth at Whidbey General Hospital will be staffed by Katherine Riddle, registered respiratory therapist and Whidbey General Hospital’s certified tobacco treatment specialist. There will be displays, pamphlets and brochures, raffle items, games and prizes. Please call 678-7656, ext. 2130 for more information.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General in 1990, people who quit smoking, regardless of age, live longer than people who continue to smoke, and quitting smoking substantially decreases the risk of lung, laryngeal, esophageal, oral, pancreatic, bladder and cervical cancers. When smokers quit, within 20 minutes of smoking that last cigarette the body begins a series of changes. At 20 minutes after quitting blood pressure decreases, pulse rate drops and body temperature of hands and feet increases. At eight hours carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal and oxygen level in blood increases to normal. At 24 hours the chance of a heart attack decreases. At 48 hours nerve endings start regrowing and ability to smell and taste is enhanced, and the benefits continue as time progresses.

Island County residents who quit smoking will also have an impact on Island County youth. The more youth that see adults smoking less or hear adults talking about wanting to quit, the less likely they’ll initiate tobacco use. Eighty-nine percent of people who ever try a cigarette try by age 18.

Tobacco is responsible for nearly one in every five deaths in the United States; it is the largest cause of preventable death. More than 400,000 people die every year from smoking-related diseases. That’s more than from alcohol, crack, heroin, murder, suicide, car accidents, and AIDS combined!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including more than 60 known cancer-causing substances. Secondhand smoke kills 38,000 nonsmokers each year in the United States. People exposed to secondhand smoke greatly increase their risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease, asthma, bronchitis, ear infections, pneumonia, croup, and sore throats.

Here are a few tips to quit:

Stay away from other smokers. Discard all your cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays. Stay out of convenience stores or other places where you commonly purchase cigarettes. When you have a bad craving for a cigarette take a deep breath, drink some water, go for a short walk, or do something else to distract yourself. Exercise; you’ll improve your health, and find that quitting is much easier when you are exercising. Plan rewards for yourself. Quitting smoking is a big deal and anyone who does it deserves a big reward.

The Great American Smokeout is an opportunity to join with literally millions of other smokers in saying “no thanks” to cigarettes for 24 hours. The rules are simple: You just quit smoking for the 24 hours of the Smokeout. The wonderful thing is that you won’t be alone; you can swap advice, jokes and groans with the other “quitters,” nonsmokers and those cheering you on. Even if you don’t go on to quit permanently, you will have learned that you can quit for a day and that many others around you are taking the step, too.

Jessica M. Minder is public health coordinator for the Island County Health Department’s Tobacco Prevention & Control Program.