There might be no better time to ditch nicotine than on May 31, which is World No Tobacco Day.
The World Health Organization and the Pima County Health Department (PCHD) are encouraging people to quit tobacco for 24 hours, pledge to support someone on their journey to quit or pledge in memory of a loved one or friend who has died due to tobacco-related causes.
Every pledge gets entered into a drawing for a raffle prize. Go to www.pima.gov/tobaccofree for more details.
Tobacco use and alternate forms of nicotine delivery, including e-cigarettes, create health risks and the potential for nicotine addiction. There is a long list of reasons to quit tobacco, from having a healthier body and lungs to increasing life expectancy by 10 years to saving lots of money.
Just as important: You can help keep people and pets around you from being exposed to dangerous second- and thirdhand smoke.
This year’s "Quitters WNTD" activities help teach the public about the dangers of using tobacco products and provides space to empower those who choose to quit once and for all.
A divergence in health equity between tobacco users and nonusers continues to exist despite declines in youth and adult use of these products. The Health Department's Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program champions WNTD by supporting smoke-free communities across different geographic priority areas and seeks to partner with community members who support the #quittersWNTD campaign.
“The general awareness of the dangers of tobacco use is one of the great achievements of public health,” said Dr. Theresa Cullen, director of the Health Department. “However, awareness and cessation do not always go hand in hand. We want to make it easier for those who need support in their effort to quit to get resources.”
Many multi-unit housing communities have adopted tobacco- and smoke-free policies, including Scotia Group in Pima County.
"In 2021, seven properties will transition to smoke free, and a vast majority of the residents and staff really enjoy the new policy,” said Kim Pacheco, the director of Multifamily Operations at Scotia Group, whose properties include Shannon Park, La Posada, Cabo Del Sol, Deerfield Village and Benedictine.
Interested in free resources to quit? Contact our team at 520-724-7904. Create a plan and stick to it! It will allow you to have more money and time to spend on the things you enjoy most in life.