Big tobacco earned a few more enemies at the Great American Smokeout in the Baltimore area and the troops are working together in hospitals and schools.
The Baltimore Washington Medical Center kicked off its initiative to become smoke-free by May, and St. Agnes Hospital officials went to The Cardinal Gibbons School on Thursday to talk to students about avoiding, or kicking the habit.
“The Great American Smokeout is the perfect day for us to launch our smoke-free initiative,” said James Walker, president and CEO of Baltimore Washington Medical Center.
“As a medical center, we want to promote wellness and be a role model for healthy living. And research shows that smokers are most successful in quitting when they have support. We support those who wish to quit wholeheartedly.”
The hospital established a task force ? made up of smokers and nonsmokers ? to guide the transition, and they are offering additional smoking cessation classes and educational materials, as well as nicotine replacement gum, to help smokers quit.
Throughout the day, employees gave gum, mints and free literature on how to quit and the effects of smoking to fellow employees, patients and visitors.
St. Joseph?s hospitalin Towson went smoke-free this fall, ceremonially demolishing its “smoking shack.”
Sherryce Robinson from the American Cancer Society, Del. Nathan-Pulliam, Del. James Malone and Dr. Gavin Henry from St. Agnes spoke with approximately 400 students in the K-12 Cardinal Gibbons school?s auditorium. They asked students to pledge to quit or to never start smoking.
Maryland?s Smoking Cessation program offers information and quit coaches through their quitline: 800-QUIT-NOW.
On the third Thursday of every November, the American Cancer Society has its Great American Smokeout.
During the day, smokers around the country smoke less than on average or do not smoke at all.
The smokeout has been around since the 70s and since then it has helped create no smoking laws that lead to lower smoking rates and less smoke related deaths.
According to the American Cancer Society, smoking is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States.
Because cigarette smoking and tobacco use are acquired behaviors, smoking is the most preventable cause of premature death in our society.
It is a major cause of several cancers, including lung ? the leading cause of cancer death in Anne Arundel County.
In addition to respiratory diseases and lung cancer smoking also contributes to ailments associated with aging, according to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Cataracts, low bone density and hip fractures are just a few ailments related to smoking.
