Western Health Encourages Smokers to Consider their Reason for Quitting this National Non-Smoking Week - Jan 14, 2011

National Non-Smoking week is January 16-22 and this year’s theme is: “There are hundreds of reasons to quit…what’s yours?” This event is one of the longest running in Canada’s ongoing public health education efforts and has been observed for more than 30 years. The goals of the week are to educate Canadians on the dangers of smoking, to help people quit smoking, to promote the rights of individuals to breathe air that is unpolluted by tobacco smoke, and to assist in the attainment of a smoke free society in Canada.  

“Smoking and exposure to second hand smoke cause many illnesses and shorten many lives,” says Tanya Barnes-Matthews, Regional Health Educator. “Despite knowing the dangers, quitting is not always the easy choice for smokers. There are social, family and co-worker influences to consider. There are lifestyle changes to adapt to, there may be physical changes to manage and there is an addiction to overcome.”

Weedless Wednesday has been a focal point of National Non-Smoking Week almost from the start, focusing media and public attention on the benefits of cessation and the community resources available to help smokers quit. Weedless Wednesday encourages smokers to take a "one day at a time" approach to quitting smoking, a concept appealing to many who may be discouraged at the thought of an entire week, or lifetime, without cigarettes, but who may be able to cope with one smoke-free day.

For information & support on quitting, call the smokers help line at 1-800-363-5864 (LUNG). The Community Mental Health Initiative and the Lung Association will have information available at the Valley Mall on Weedless Wednesday. As well, smokers in the Corner Brook area interested in a smoking cessation program can call the Community Mental Health Initiative at 634-4171 for more information.

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For further information:
Heidi Staeben-Simmons
Director of Communications
Western Health
637-5252
heidistaebensimmons@westernhealth.nl.ca                                                               

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