PRESQUE ISLE — The Great American Smokeout has always been a great time for tobacco users to take that first step toward quitting. This year, both smokers and nonsmokers at The Aroostook Medical Center — and in the community — are coming together to celebrate the event Thursday, Nov. 15 by giving up tobacco, junk food, and other unhealthy habits.
“The Great American Smokeout is an annual event when many smokers stop using tobacco for a day. For many smokers, it is the beginning of what will become a smoke-free life,” said Dawn Poitras, co-chair of the TAMC Total Health Team. “But many nonsmokers have unhealthy habits. We wanted to give smokers and nonsmokers alike a chance to make one positive change, even if it’s just for a day.”
Participants are being asked to complete pledge sheets available in the newspaper, at A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital, and on TAMC’s website. There is space on each pledge sheet for a participant’s name and the unhealthy habit he or she will give up for the day. The pledge sheets will be displayed at a special Great American Smokeout celebration scheduled for Nov. 15 from 3-4 p.m. at A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital.
“The pledge cards will appear on the wall at the celebration for all to see,” said Poitras. “We’ll also have a large, uniquely-decorated trash can. We invite employees and community members to come and dispose of their tobacco products, foods that are high in fat or sugar, and other items that support unhealthy behaviors. It will be a fun and festive atmosphere.”
There will also be drawings at the celebration for a $100 Aroostook Centre Mall gift certificate and several $20 gas cards. Anyone who submits a pledge form is eligible to win. Forms will be available at the celebration for those who are unable to complete one prior to the event.
This year’s Great American Smokeout recognition focuses on unhealthy behaviors of all types, but helping tobacco users quit remains a priority for TAMC. Quit kits and other resources will be available at the celebration to help smokers who want to quit get off to a great start.
“According to a survey taken in 2010, 31 percent of adults in Aroostook County smoke, which is much higher than the state average,” said Poitras. “As a result, Aroostook County suffers from a high rate of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and lung cancer. Given this, TAMC encourages everyone who smokes to consider making the Great American Smokeout their first of many tobacco-free days.”
TAMC is also using the occasion to educate the community about a smoking-related danger that is often overlooked: third-hand smoke. When a smoker lights up, a toxic mix of substances from the cigarette attaches to furniture, curtains, carpeting and other surfaces. Third-hand smoke is also present in a smoker’s clothing and hair.
“If you notice the smell of cigarettes in a room, car or elevator long after a smoker has put out a cigarette, you have probably been exposed to third-hand smoke,” said Poitras. “The smell can be bothersome to many, but what many people don’t know is that third-hand smoke leaves behind cyanide, arsenic, lead and other poisons that are hazardous, especially for children.”
Children tend to touch a lot of things and put their hands in their mouth, which can transmit the toxic chemicals into their bodies. In fact, according to Scientific American, children ingest twice the amount of dust that adults do, and infants may get 20 times more exposure to third-hand smoke than adults.
More information about third-hand smoke, as well as resources to help smokers quit, will be available at the Great American Smokeout celebration. To obtain a pledge form and be entered into the contest, please visit www.tamc.org.
