BLOOMINGTON – Summer is a time for enjoying the outdoors with picnics, hiking, grilling, swimming, and more. Make these events safer for you, your friends, and your family by cutting your tobacco habit.
“Food tends to taste better, and people breathe easier when they don’t smoke,” said Patricia Colon, MPH, CHES®, IU Health Community Health Tobacco Prevention Coordinator. “Being better able to experience social gatherings is just one reason to quit tobacco.”
Colon said tobacco cessation also helps the people around you. With more than 7,000 chemicals in secondhand smoke and hundreds of those being toxic, your bad habit also affects others.
“There’s no ‘safe’ exposure time for secondhand smoke,” said Colon. “Nearly 34,000 people die prematurely from heart disease caused by secondhand smoke every year in the United States. And secondhand exposure can cause multiple health problems in infants and young children, including increasing their risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).”
She explained that even smoking around others while outside exposes them to harmful chemicals. So, instead of grabbing a new cigarette box from the gas station, grab a pack of nicotine gum to help stave off your cravings. And get help for your long-term goal of quitting.
The Indiana Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW) offers free, evidence-based help to tobacco users to quit and stay quit. Visit QuitNowIndiana.com to find out more.
About Indiana University Health
Named among the “Best Hospitals in America” by U.S. News & World Report for 23 consecutive years, Indiana University Health is dedicated to providing a unified standard of preeminent, patient-centered care. A unique partnership with Indiana University School of Medicine – one of the nation’s leading medical schools – gives our highly skilled physicians access to innovative treatments using the latest research and technology. Learn more at www.iuhealth.org.
