November National Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Tobacco use single most preventable cause of death in United States
*Change Year to 2006
Mary Bird Perkins’ C.A.R.E. Network offers free smoking cessation classes for public; workshop for health care professionals to help smokers quit
In conjunction with National Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s C.A.R.E. Network is sponsoring a free workshop for health care professionals and free smoking cessation classes for the public funded by a grant from the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL).
Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer in Louisiana. Not only do 6,400 Louisiana residents die each year from tobacco use, but this costs Louisiana nearly $2.8 billion annually, according to TFL.
In his continuing partnership with MBPCC’s C.A.R.E. Network on cancer outreaches, Mayor-President “Kip” Holden remarked, “Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the U.S. The earlier you quit, the greater the health benefit.”
The workshop, “Helping Smokers Quit: A Guide For Health Care Professionals,” will be held December 1st. Participants will learn the process of the Five A’s to effectively advise smokers to quit, assist smokers through counseling and pharmacotherapy and follow up with smokers to ensure success.
“Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body,” said Lori McCallum, executive director of MPBCC’s C.A.R.E. Network. “Quitting smoking, on the other hand, has major and immediate health benefits for men and women of all ages. It increases your chances of living a longer healthier life.”
The eight weeks of cessation classes begin in January. Classes will be conducted in Baton Rouge January 18th - March 15th and March 22nd - May 17th and in Hammond February 14th -April 11th. The objective of the class is to offer smokers support and constructive guidance for quitting to significantly reduce their risk of lung cancer, other cancers, heart attack, stroke and chronic lung disease. Smokers have a better chance of successfully quitting when they participate in a cessation program. If you are interested in joining a free cessation class you may register online at www.marybird.org. To register for “Helping Smokers Quit: A Guide For Health Care Professionals” on December 1st go to www.marybird.org or call Rose Florida at 225.215.1255 or toll free at 1.888.616.4687. Registration deadline is Thursday, November 30th.
To learn more about the risk factors associated with smoking visit the American Cancer Society website at www.cancer.org.
The Center’s C.A.R.E. Network, established in 2002, is funded by gifts from the community. Its premiere platform is the early detection of cancer and how it saves lives. The C.A.R.E. Network provides hundreds of free cancer screenings to thousands of people every year. The academic medical physics partnership formed between MBPCC and Louisiana State University in 2004 is funded in part by the research arm of the C.A.R.E. Network. The Center has facilities in Baton Rouge, Covington and Hammond.