Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney and the County Department of Health Services celebrated the 31st anniversary of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout with events taking place at local schools and the County Administration Building.
The Great American Smokeout has been held nationwide since 1977 on the third Thursday in November.
It challenges people to stop using tobacco, draws attention to the deaths and chronic diseases caused by smoking, and raises awareness of the many effective strategies to quit smoking.
“Bergen County residents who participated in the Great American Smokeout this year deserve recognition and continued motivation,” said McNerney. “Making the decision to give up cigarettes is challenging, but well worth the effort when you are issued a clean bill of health. This initiative alerts nonsmokers to reduce their exposure to secondhand smoke.”
Staff members from the Department of Health Services’ Office of Health Promotion provided tobacco prevention/cessation educational displays and interacted with students, faculty, and employees at the Bergen County Administration Building, Bergen Community College, Rutherford High School, and Ramapo Regional High School in Franklin Lakes. Topics of discussion included the benefits of quitting smoking, methods of quitting, and cessation resources, including the free NJ Quit Services: Quitnet and Quitline.
In the spirit of the Smokeout, students, adults, and employees who smoke were encouraged to quit for the day. Students at the two county high schools who made a commitment not to smoke were encouraged to sign tobacco-free pledges and adopt a smoker and support their efforts to quit during the Smokeout. Approximately 909 students, adults, and employees participated in the event. 388 pledges were signed.
According to the American Cancer Society, roughly one in four adults and one in five teenagers in the U.S. are current smokers. Tobacco use is responsible for nearly one in five deaths in the U.S. Smoking accounts for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths and 87 percent of lung cancer deaths. Lung cancer remains the number one cancer killer among men and women. This year alone, approximately 213,380 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. and about 6,310 will impact New Jersey residents. An estimated 160,390 people in the U.S. will die from the disease this year. In New Jersey, it is estimated that 4,380 lives will be lost.
Smoking is also associated with increased risk for cancers of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, kidney, bladder, pancreas, and cervix. It has recently been associated with colorectal cancer, myeloid leukemia, as well as cancers of the liver, stomach, and nasal sinuses. Smoking is also a major cause of heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema.
Since tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death, disease, and disability in New Jersey, county residents who are ready to quit smoking can call NJ Quitline at 1-866-NJ-STOPS, or log onto NJ Quitnet at www.nj.quitnet.com for free individual counseling. For information about tobacco use and the Bergen County Department of Health Services’ Community Tobacco Control Program, visit www.bergenhealth.org or call 201-634-2707.
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