Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance (WANA)

The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health
Department) is informing residents who want to stop smoking that they
now have another resource to help them quit.  All Los Angeles County
residents are now eligible to receive a free 1-month supply of nicotine
patches by calling 1-800-NO-BUTTS.

The free nicotine patches are
being distributed through the California Smoker's Helpline
(1-800-NO-BUTTS), which offers multi-lingual services including Spanish,
Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean. The Helpline is a free
telephone counseling resource to help smokers develop a quit plan and
assist them through the quit process.  Applicants for the free nicotine
patches must be over the age of 18 and have a Los Angeles County mailing
address. 

This effort is part of a comprehensive tobacco
control approach, lead by local health departments such as the Long
Beach Health Department, which has resulted in a dramatic decrease in
the number of adult smokers in California.  Currently, 11.9% of adults
in California smoke; this makes California one of only two states
nationwide to reach the federal Healthy People 2020 target of reducing
the adult smoking prevalence rate to 12 percent.

"The nicotine
patch program is a great opportunity for Long Beach residents who want
to kick the smoking habit and enjoy the benefits of a healthier
lifestyle," said Ronald R. Arias, Health Department Director.

In
Long Beach, additional quit-smoking referrals can be obtained through
the Health Department's Tobacco Education Program.  To obtain a free
copy of the Long Beach "Stop Smoking Self-Help Referral Guide" and
Cessation Packet, contact the Tobacco Education Program at 562.570.7950.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking (from the American Cancer Society)
·    20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure drop.   
·    12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
·    2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your 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.
For
more information regarding the Health Department Tobacco Education
Program, please contact Eipryl Tello, Interim Tobacco Education Program
Coordinator, at 562.570.7950 or visit www.longbeach.gov/health, click on
"Health Promotion and then click on "Tobacco Education Program."

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