News and Events
Tobacco Free Florida Week Focuses on "The Cost of Smoking"!
May 12, 2017
Tobacco Free Florida Week was held during the week of May 7th this year. The theme was “The Cost of Smoking.” Most people know that smoking is not healthy. Did you know that smokers die an average of 10 years earlier than nonsmokers? In Florida, 30% of all cancer deaths are due to smoking. Some smokers live with chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or another smoking related illness that reduces the quality of life for those individuals.
Besides the health costs of smoking, many people don’t consider the financial costs of smoking. For a person who smokes one pack of cigarettes per day in Florida, it can cost $2000 per year. Since 90% of smokers first tried using cigarettes by age 18, imagine the lifetime cost of smoking over the years. In just five years, $10,000 will be spent on cigarettes for a pack-a-day smoker. What could you do with $10,000? Tobacco use costs thousands of dollars for families each year.
To support more healthy living and reduce the cost of smoking in Gilchrist County, many businesses and organizations actively promoted Tobacco Free Florida Week to the community. Several locations in the county participated by posting information about the financial costs of smoking, the health costs of smoking. Tobacco Free Florida information, including the Quit Your Way program was also available at many locations in the community. Businesses and organizations that participated included the Trenton Library which provided information, as well as hosted the in-person cessation group facilitated by Suwannee River AHEC. They also advertised Tobacco Free Florida Week by hanging a banner that was visible to everyone driving on Main Street in Trenton. The Gilchrist County Department of Health, Best Drugs, Palms Medical Group, and Trenton High School and Elementary also participated in Tobacco Free Florida Week. Due to the efforts of so many, hundreds of people were reached in Gilchrist County with the message of The Cost of Smoking.
The good news is that most smokers want to quit. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control, almost 70% of adult smokers really want to kick the habit. Every year about 40% of smokers make a quit attempt. Quitting smoking is hard. There is support for those who realize the cost of smoking and want to quit for good. For more information, or to get involved with the Tobacco Free Partnership call 352-463-7006 or email info@TFP-Gilchrist.org.
