News release from Tobacco Free Allen County:
CDC TIPS will return to Allen County July 2014
Education campaign returns with powerful stories to help Allen County residents quit smoking
(June 25, 2014) – Continuing with the success of last year’s landmark national tobacco education campaign, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is airing a second series of ads in 2014 featuring real people who are living with the effects of smoking-related diseases. The newest ads in the “Tips from Former Smokers” campaign tell the story of how real people’s lives were changed forever due to their smoking. In Indiana, more than 9,700 residents die every year from smoking-related diseases. The new ads will air from July 7 to September 7.
“These ads tell the stories of brave people struggling with the health consequences of smoking-related diseases — the kinds of smoking-related diseases doctors see every day,” said Tim McAfee, M.D., M.P.H, director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. “The former smokers in these ads give voice to the more than 16 million Americans who are suffering from smoking-related chronic diseases each and every day.”
The ads feature smoking-related health conditions that people don’t commonly associate with cigarette use—including gum disease, pre-term birth, and complications associated with HIV—and continue to emphasize more common conditions, like cancer. They encourage smokers to call 1-800-QUIT NOW, a toll-free number to access free quitting support, or visit https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/index.html to view the personal stories from the campaign and for free help quitting.
“These ads are effective in bringing to life the devastating effects of smoking, helping people quit and never start,” says Deborah McMahan, MD, Allen County Health Commissioner. “As a doctor and County Health Commissioner, I know all too well the terrible toll smoking takes on a patient and their family. Tobacco Free Allen County is committed to helping our residents understand the reality of smoking-related disease and death – and to prevent these terrible experiences from happening to them.”
The Tips campaign serves as an important counter to the more than $8.3 billion spent annually by the tobacco industry to make cigarettes more attractive and more affordable — particularly to youth and young adults.
“I started smoking around the age of 16, and smoked for over 15 years. I worked my way up to being a pack a day smoker for at least the latter 8 years. I had tried quitting at least 4 times throughout the years, and was finally did quit for good on October 1st, 2010. I have had zero relapses, and had very few cravings past the initial couple of months after quitting, so it does get easier. I’m now quickly approaching the 4 year mark of being an ex-smoker, and I feel amazing! No more chronic coughs, I can smell, and taste my food. I don’t get sick as often as I used to, and when I do I recover much more quickly. Surprisingly, I feel less anxious now than when I was a smoker. All along I thought smoking calmed me down in stressful situations, when it was really increasing my overall stress levels. The keys to my success were my wanting to quit, and the support I got from those around me. I can’t imagine my life as a smoker anymore, and why would I want to…my life now is so much better! I’m looking forward to living the rest of my life (a much longer life) as an ex-smoker”. – Brad Every, Allen County Resident
Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. It kills about 480,000 Americans each year. For every person who dies from a smoking-related disease, about 30 more people suffer at least one serious illness from smoking. Nearly 70% of smokers say they want to quit. This campaign will provide them with information and resources to do so. For more information on the campaign, including profiles of the former smokers, links to the ads, and free quit help, visit https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/index.html.
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