The Great American Smokeout Wouldn't Be The Same Without You, LA County

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Article Date: 16 Nov 2007 - 15:00 PDT

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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health today marked the 31st Annual Great American Smokeout by asking people to quit smoking for at least 24 hours. It is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, yet one of every three smokers is killed by this habit (approximately 435,000 people annually). In LA County, tobacco use causes one out of every seven deaths. Smoking greatly increases the risk for many types of cancer, heart disease and stroke, and smokers are ten times as likely to develop vascular disease (narrowing of blood vessels in the legs, stomach, arms and kidneys).

"While we are proud that the number of smokers in Los Angeles County is at an all-time low, there are still more than one million smokers in the County," said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer. "Quitting is the best thing a smoker can do for his or her health and family, and we encourage people who smoke to take part in the Great American Smokeout as a way to start that process."

Approximately $4.3 billion is lost in LA County due to smoking-related diseases and deaths each year. The leading causes of smoking-related deaths are lung cancer, coronary heart disease, and chronic airway obstruction. But progress has been made over the past several years in the fight against tobacco addiction. The Los Angeles County Health Survey (LACHS) from August 2006 shows a statistically significant decline in the prevalence of adult smoking, from 18.2 percent in 1997 to 14.6 percent in 2005.

"While tobacco addiction is difficult to overcome, we are committed to providing Los Angeles County smokers with as many resources as possible to help them quit," said Dr. Fielding. "We developed a free service for people to click-to-call a counselor by logging onto a website, typing in their information, and then receiving a phone call from a trained health professional. That call could be the key to helping someone take charge of their health by getting rid of cigarettes or any form of tobacco for good."

People who visit http://www.laquits.com can simply click on an icon located on the homepage to request a call from a professionally trained counselor from the California Smokers' Helpline.

Research shows that smokers who use the services of the Helpline double their chances of quitting successfully. Counselors are able to help create personalized quit-smoking plans. While the Helpline offers help in several different languages, the click-to-call service is currently in English.

The first Great American Smokeout took place on November 18, 1976 when the California Division of the American Cancer Society successfully encouraged nearly one million smokers to quit for the day. The following year, the American Cancer Society began promoting the day as a national event.

The Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Public Health comprises more than 4,000 employees and an annual budget exceeding $750 million.

http://www.lapublichealth.org