TOBACCO USERS URGED TO QUIT DURING TOBACCO FREE FLORIDA WEEK

Milton, FL – April 6-13 is Tobacco Free Florida Week. It’s a time to consider the dangers of tobacco and encourage tobacco users to consider quitting. Smoking causes one in five deaths in the U.S., which translates into approximately 443,000 deaths each year. Each year, an estimated 5000 Americans die from illnesses caused by secondhand smoke exposure.

Raising awareness by educating the public about the risks of using tobacco is a mission of Tobacco Free Florida.  The Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County and the Santa Rosa Tobacco-Free Coalition are working toward reducing the number of tobacco users and encouraging workplaces and multi-unit dwellings to implement smoke-free policies. Employers and multi-unit housing owners can benefit directly by instituting smoke-free policies and offering tobacco cessation therapy. Business owners can have a more productive work force that take less breaks and miss less work due to illnesses related to tobacco use. The housing owners can potentially enjoy reduced insurance rates due to lower risks of fire damage and the cost of renovating a housing unit is greatly reduced when tobacco use is not allowed indoors.

Student’s Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) are active in local middle and high schools to educate and prevent youth from initiating tobacco use. Most smokers and chew tobacco users begin using before the age of 18; leading to a long life of nicotine addiction.

Tobacco cessation classes and free nicotine replacement therapy is available to citizens who wish to free themselves of the addiction and enjoy a healthier and longer life. After quitting tobacco, the savings can be substantial and the money can be spent on things that are more enjoyable. 

For more information, please contact Dennis Bratten at the Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County at (850) 983-5200 extension 142