[Nov. 13, 2012]\u2013 Thousands of Oklahoma tobacco users will quit smoking and dipping for the entire day on Nov. 15 for the 37th Annual Great American Smokeout.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Tobacco Free Coalition for Tulsa County is encouraging all tobacco users in Tulsa County to make an attempt to quit smoking this year, even if it\u2019s only for one day. In Tulsa, the Tobacco Free Coalition is partnering with Tulsa Public Schools, Tulsa Healthy Start, Tulsa Health Department and Home Depot to conduct an education and awareness campaign. \u00a0Home Depot has built \u201cMini-Mobile Billboards\u201d that will be placed directly in front of local schools displaying information about the dangers of tobacco use and the effects of secondhand smoke on children in the home and car (see banners below). \u00a0At the end of the school day coalition volunteers will engage parents\/guardians and provide information about the effects of smoking on children and resources to help tobacco users quit. \u00a0Mini-mobile Billboards will be placed at the following schools:<\/p>\n
\u00b7 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Chouteau Elementary \u2013 4132 W. Cameron St. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012 at 7:00am<\/p>\n
\u00b7 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Bell Elementary \u2013 6304 E. Admiral Blvd. on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 at 7:00am<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decision to quit smoking can be one of the most important choices you will ever make,\u201d said Gabbrielle Harmening coalition Chair. \u201cMake a plan, organize your support and go for it. Over the next day, month and year, you\u2019ll feel better and you\u2019ll have more money to spend on other things that are important to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Support can come from a spouse, friends, your doctor, or professional quit coaches from the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or online at www.OKhelpline.com. Free quit coaching, and free patches, gum or lozenges are available for all callers who qualify.<\/p>\n
The Helpline is funded by TSET (Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust), the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 200,000 Oklahomans have called the Helpline to receive free support.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cQuitting smoking is the single most important step a smoker can take to live a longer, healthier life,\u201d said Tracey Strader, TSET executive director. \u201cThe Great American Smokeout is a perfect day to join with others in Oklahoma and across the nation to become a non-smoker.\u201d<\/p>\n
Health benefits start almost immediately when one quits smoking, according to the American Cancer Society:<\/p>\n
\u00b7 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Within 20 minutes of quitting, blood pressure decreases and pulse rate drops<\/p>\n
\u00b7 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Within eight hours of quitting, oxygen level in blood returns to normal.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Within 24 hours of quitting, chance of a heart attack decreases.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Within 48 hours of quitting, ability to smell and taste is enhanced.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Within three months of quitting, circulation and lung function improve.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Within nine months of quitting, coughing, sinus congestion, wheezing, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Within one year of quitting, risk of coronary heart disease is lowered to half of that of a smoker.<\/p>\n
The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline operates seven days a week. Services are available to smokers and users of other tobacco products. Services are also available in Spanish at 1-800-793-1552 or for the Deaf and Hard of Hear through video relay at 1-866-748-2436.<\/p>\n
For more information about the Helpline, visit www.OKhelpline.com. Other free quitting resources about quitting tobacco include: www.smokefree.gov. To learn more about local tobacco control efforts, contact Vanessa Hall-Harper of the Tobacco Free Coalition for Tulsa County by calling 918-595-4226 or via email at vhharper@tulsa-health.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[Nov. 13, 2012]\u2013 Thousands of Oklahoma tobacco users will quit smoking and dipping for the entire day on Nov. 15 for the 37th Annual Great American Smokeout. \u00a0 \u00a0 The Tobacco Free Coalition for Tulsa County is encouraging all tobacco users in Tulsa County to make an attempt to quit smoking this year, even if […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n