February is Heart Month, not just because of Valentine’s Day, but also to raise awareness that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Heart disease kills 12,608 Alabamians annually. The American Heart Association (AHA) and the Prevention Project of the Dothan-Houston County Substance Abuse Partnership recommends avoiding tobacco use and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure because these are major contributors to heart disease.
Alabama’s own Regina Benjamin, U.S. Surgeon General, issued a report just last year stating any exposure to tobacco smoke is a danger. The report details the immediate damage to the body’s organs and blood vessels caused by the 4,000 toxins contained in cigarette smoke. Each year 7,500 Alabamians die from the complications of tobacco use, many due to cardiovascular disease.
Quitting smoking reduces the risk of death from heart disease by 50 percent. It also reduces the risk of high blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, and stroke.
Free support to quit smoking is available by calling 1-800-Quit Now (1-800-784-8669) or visiting www.alabamaquitnow.com. Free information is also available by contact the Prevention Project at 6999-2813.
The AHA estimates that each year more than 22,000 Americans including 850 Alabamians die from heart disease caused by other people’s smoke. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, studies throughout the U.S. have found that implementing smoke-free policies is associated with reductions in hospital heart attack admissions.
Please visit the Coalition for a Tobacco-free Alabama’s Website at www.tobaccofreealabama.net to see what you can do to protect all Alabamians from dangerous second hand smoke, and third hand smoke exposure. It’s not just your life you are changing, but also the lives of those around you. Take a stand today, be tobacco free and start living a new life.
Jeffrey Biggs
Dothan-Houston County Substance Abuse Partnership
The Coalition for a Tobacco-free Alabama
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