An estimated 22 percent of Mesa County adults smoke cigarettes, which may explain why our county has a higher rate of death due to chronic lower respiratory diseases than the rest of the state.
In a 2013 survey, about 27 percent of Mesa County high school students said they had smoked cigarettes or cigars or used other forms of tobacco in the last 30 days.
Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. It harms nearly every organ of the body and increases the risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and cancer.
The Tobacco Free Team, made up of Mesa County Health Department, Primary Care Partners, Hilltop and St. Mary’s Hospital staff, wants to give residents the power to quit tobacco to improve their health.
The team has organized four 2016 Mesa County Smokeout quit dates:
- January 19
- April 19
- July 19
- November 19
- The Colorado Quitline – 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)
- Hilltop’s Tobacco Cessation Support Group
- St. Mary’s Hospital tobacco cessation clinical visits at the Regional Care Center
- Primary Care Partners well-coaching and medication geared toward tobacco cessation