Courthouse Bldg. Accessibility Information SCHA Provides Resources to Help Smokers Quit
The Shawnee County Health Agency (SCHA) will be offering Quit Kits to smokers on Thursday, November 19, 2009. The kits are free, when the individual turns over their pack of cigarettes, and contain resources and information to help smokers quit, including tips for quitting, smoking substitutes to use during cravings, and information on KanQuit, a toll-free quitline (1-800-784-8669).
The kits can be obtained by visiting the Shawnee County Health Agency between 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. at the following sites:
- Health Agency Main Clinic - 1615 S.W. 8th Ave.
- Hillcrest Clinic - 1800 S.E. 21st St.
- M&I Clinic - 1534 S.W. Clay
The kits are being distributed in conjunction with the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, which was inaugurated in 1976 to inspire and encourage smokers to quit for one day. To date, 44.2 percent of the 45.3 million Americans who smoke have attempted to quit for at least one day in the past year, and the Great American Smokeout remains an opportunity to encourage people to commit to making a long-term plan to quit for good.
Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States. Each year, smoking accounts for an estimated 438,000 premature deaths, including 38,000 deaths among nonsmokers as a result of secondhand smoke. Half of all Americans who continue to smoke will die from smoking-related diseases.
For more information on the effects of smoking and the Great American Smokeout, visit the American Cancer Society’s website at http://www.cancer.org.