Nat'l Women's Health Week is going on now!

The Deschutes County Health Services’ Tobacco Prevention and Education Program is promoting National Women’s Health Week, a national week devoted to promoting women’s health and quitting tobacco use.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women have been targeted by the tobacco industry for years to start smoking. Unfortunately, women who use tobacco are at greater risk for heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer, emphysema, and other serious chronic illnesses such as diabetes, compared to women who do not use tobacco.

When women choose to quit smoking, their health improves significantly:

20 minutes after quitting, heart rate and blood pressure drop.
12 hours after quitting, the carbon monoxide level in a person’s blood drops to normal.
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting, circulation improves and lung function increases.
1 to 9 months after quitting, coughing and shortness of breath decrease; Cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) start to regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
1 year after quitting, the excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker’s.
5 years after quitting, risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half.

Quitting tobacco is difficult, but can be done! According to the American Cancer Society, most success comes from utilizing two-or-more of the following tools; encouragement and support from friends and family members, telephone smoking-cessation hotlines, and other tools you can research online.

Resources to support those who are interested in getting information about quitting tobacco use:

1. The Oregon Tobacco Quit Line: 1 (800) 784-8669 English, 1 (877) 266-3683 Spanish. 

2. Both group and individual cessation services offered:
St. Charles Health System, Fresh Start: (541) 706-6390, www.stcharleshealthcare.org

3. Online cessation resources:
a. American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking
b. Become an EX, www.becomeanex.org
c. Smokefree Women, https://women.smokefree.gov/

For more information about Deschutes County Health Services tobacco cessation information, please call (541) 322-7481 or send email to Penny.Pritchard@deschutes.org .