Give Smoking the Bird encourages tobacco users to participate in the Great American Smokeout on November 15, 2012. Anytime Fitness, Michigan City, IN – celebrates kicking the habit at Lake Shore Lanes Bowling Alley. Anytime Fitness is one of the 32 teams that fundraise for Relay For Life, last year bringing in $76,000 for local La Porte County residents.
Lake Shore Lanes Bowling Alley will host the event from 3pm-6pm on Thursday, 11/15/2012 with a set number of lanes of bowling, turkey chili tasting from Anytime Fitness members and representatives will be available to provide information on quitting cold turkey. People taking the pledge to quit smoking will receive a 7-day pass to Anytime Fitness. Dave Backstrom from Lake Shore Lanes is happy to host this positive event to bring light to a very important issue.
Take a pledge to quit COLD TURKEY, vote on your favorite turkey chili recipe in the Great American cookoff, the The Great American Smokeout is a national cessation day held every year by the American Cancer Society, and 2012 marks the 37th year it has been recognized. The day is selected to raise awareness on the dangers of tobacco and to help tobacco users quit, for at least one day, with the hope that they will quit for good.
“Indiana has so many great resources to help tobacco users quit,” said Pat Carlisle, member of Porter County Tobacco Coalition. “The Great American Smokeout, coupled with the dangerous health effects and growing costs of tobacco, is just one more reason for Hoosiers to take advantage of those resources like the Indiana Quitline.”
The Quitline, which can be reached by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW, provides free motivational counseling with a trained Quit Coach and free nicotine-replacement therapy medications such as gum and patches. The Quitline is available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., and services are available additional languages if needed. Counseling is tailored to the specific needs of the tobacco user. Women who are pregnant are eligible for a specialized cessation program with additional benefits.
Smoking causes coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, and doubles a person’s risk for stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It causes cancers of the bladder, mouth, esophagus, kidney and lung, and has negative effects on reproduction and early childhood. Although nicotine is extremely addictive, quitting is possible with the proper support. For information on additional cessation resources available in this area visit indianatobaccoquitline.net or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW and take the first step towards freedom from tobacco.