BLOOMINGTON – This year, make spring the start of your journey to a tobacco-free life.
“We saw a big increase in tobacco use in early 2020, which is bad for people’s health and our environment,” said IU Health Community Health Program Manager Cara Wickens.
World No Tobacco Day is on Tuesday, May 31, and this year’s focus is on how tobacco affects the environment. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports the annual destruction of around 8.5 million acres of land due to tobacco farming.
The WHO also reports the crop contributes to almost 500,000 acres of deforestation annually. Tobacco products continue the destructive trend.
Wickens said, “That cigarette or e-cigarette isn’t just affecting you. The carcinogens and harmful chemicals are making their way into the bodies of people around you through second-hand smoke and into the environment when people improperly dispose of the products.”
Spring is a great time to make a change and work on being tobacco-free.
Call 1-800-Quit-Now to get help from a trained quit coach and get started on your plan. You can also call this number for free, evidence-based tobacco cessation support. Visit QuitNowIndiana.com to learn more.
For in-person tobacco cessation classes in Monroe County, please call IU Health Bloomington Community Health at 812-353-9300 to learn about the 2022 schedule.
