CHENANGO COUNTY - ‘The Great American Smoke-Out’ begins the third Thursday in November to help individuals struggling with nicotine/tobacco addiction to quit effectively. The Chenango County Health Department encourages individuals who use nicotine/tobacco products to participate in the Great American Smoke-Out on November 21, 2024. Make today your quit day!

Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke causes more than 480,000 deaths in the United States annually. Smoking cigarettes increases your risk of developing cancer and other serious illnesses that can lead to death. It is not too late to quit using tobacco. Quitting immediately improves some aspects of an individual’s health, and long-term quitting greatly improves individual health. Quitting reduces the risk of premature death, reduces the risk of many adverse health effects, and reduces the financial burden that smoking can cause on individuals. You do not have to do it alone!

Individuals are encouraged to make a quit plan to start their quitting journey. Your quit plan can be today or in a month, but if you set a date and hold yourself accountable, it is an effective step in your journey to better health.

A date that is two weeks out is often the most effective.

Counseling: A health care professional or quit coach can assist you in planning, along with preparing you with ways to cope with stress, addictive urges, and other issues that may arise.

Medicines: Medicines aid with management of withdrawal symptoms. Some quit-smoking medicines include nicotine patches, lozenges, gum, oral inhalers, and nasal sprays. Pill medications include varenicline and bupropion SR.

Utilizing some quit-smoking medicines together can increase your chances of being able to quit. For example, using a long-acting nicotine patch with short-acting nicotine gum can control your withdrawal symptoms better than just using one. To give yourself the best chance of quitting by utilizing both counseling and medicines. Many of these treatments are available to the public either free of charge or can be covered by an individual’s insurance. Call the New York State Quitline to receive all these services for free at 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487).

To learn more, go online at nysmokefree.com or www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/quit-smoking.

- Information from the Chenango County Dept. of Health