Breathe Easy Hamilton County is urging all businesses, organizations and residents of Hamilton County to participate in The American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout on Thursday, Nov. 15.
The American Cancer Society is hosting its 43rd annual GASO event. The Great American Smokeout occurs on the third Thursday in November and was organized to urge Americans to make plans to quit or quit on that day. The day is meant to encourage people to improve their overall health and decrease the risk of lung disease, especially lung cancer.
As it currently stands, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women and is the leading cause of cancer death. Smoking is the number one cause of this cancer, as well as a multitude of other health problems like COPD, heart disease and stroke.
Breathe Easy Hamilton County is asking employers, organizations and individuals to take action and promote this event in their businesses, clubs, within families and among friends.
“People who smoke know that there are a number of different ways smoking negatively impacts the body, and this event is not about shaming someone into giving up smoking for a day,” said Stacy London, Coordinator for Breathe Easy Hamilton County. “Instead this day is about celebrating a success. We are hoping that by supporting the Great American Smokeout, people will say I will quit for the day. It will be Day 1 for them, rather than say someday I’ll try to quit.”
Breathe Easy Hamilton County can provide businesses, organizations or individuals with a toolkit from the American Cancer Society to help their employees, coworkers or family and friends to start with Day One. The toolkit will provide materials that people can offer to someone that might be willing to try a quit attempt. Toolkits will include sample emails to promote the event, messaging so they can serve as advocates for smoking cessation, and even a press release for businesses or organizations to put in newsletters, flyers and commitment cards.
“We want this toolkit accessible to anyone in Hamilton County that would like to promote this event,” said London. “We are working with the Noblesville, Westfield and OneZone Chambers of Commerce to promote the event to local businesses. Businesses can look for information on their local Chamber’s websites.”
Information will also be available on the Breathe Easy website, breatheeasyhamiltoncounty.com. Questions may be directed to Stacy London at slondon_TPC@gsnlive.org.
Here are some ways your body improves after taking your last drag of a cigarette:
- 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your heart rate will begin to drop to a normal level.
- Two hours after your last cigarette, your blood pressure and pulse will return to normal, and your circulation improves, so your hands and feet become warmer.
- 12 hours: By the time you are relaxing at home, you will have more oxygen in your body because there will be about half the amount of carbon monoxide and nicotine in your blood.
- 24 hours: After one full day without cigarettes, your risk for coronary artery disease will begin to decrease and you will have lowered your odds of having a heart attack.
- 48 hours: After your last two days, your sense of smell and taste will improve exponentially. It’s worth noting, however, that the 48-hour mark is about when you’ll hit withdrawal symptoms such as hunger, headaches and depression. These symptoms are temporary, and the health benefits far outweigh the discomfort.
- Two weeks to three months: You will be able to exercise more without becoming tired or winded and will have officially made it through the hardest part of the withdrawal phase.
- One year: You will be significantly healthier than you were one year ago and have cut your risk of heart disease in half.
Don’t wait. Join the millions of others who are ready to overcome smoking by joining the Great American Smokeout on Nov. 15.