Cancer and heart disease are the leading causes of death among Latinos, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Eighty to 90 percent of lung cancers and up to one-third of all heart disease related deaths can be traced back to smoking. But this doesn’t mean an automatic death sentence for all smokers. People who quit smoking by the age of 50 can reduce their chances of a smoking-related death by 50%, while those who quit by 30 can reduce those odds by as much as 90%.
There are many ways to quit, including talking to your doctor, short-term counseling, behavioral therapy, phone apps and medication. Ultimately, the first step for any of these methods is deciding that cigarettes will no longer play any role in your life.
To help you on the path to quitting, Family Health Centers (FHCSD) offers a free, year round smoking cessation program for anyone who has decided to quit. Cessation, or quitting, can be very hard, especially if you decide to do it without any help. Our five, 50-minute group session program is facilitated by a trained provider who talks with you about different topics related to smoking and quitting. Having the support of both a medical professional and other individuals on the same journey increases your chances of quitting for good.
Additionally, we are participating in the national ¡Vive tu vida! Get up! Get moving! program which encourage physical activity and healthy lifestyle activities and health screenings.
For more information about the FHCSD cessation program, please call (619) 515-2526 or visit our website at www.fhcsd.org/smokingcessation or join us on October 14 from 9 to 1 at Memorial Park at the ¡Vive tu vida! Get up! Get moving! event. For more information about the event, please visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/170143916872421
