St. Louis City, County and Health Advocates Unite to Fight Smoking

“Show Me You Can Quit" Campaign Runs April 13 - 17

April 6, 2015 | 2 min reading time

This article is 9 years old. It was published on April 6, 2015.

Smoker
Smoking is the single most avoidable cause of disease, disability and death in the United States. Inhaling smoke from burning tobacco causes more than 480,000 deaths yearly – more than HIV, drug and alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, and firearm-related incidents combined. 

The City of St. Louis Department of Health, regional health organizations, and anti-smoking advocacy groups from the metropolitan area will unite April 13-17 with a single goal in mind – help local residents to quit smoking. The partnership is called Show Me You Can Quit and marks the first time St. Louis health systems, universities, employers, advocacy groups, and health departments have joined forces to stress the importance of smoking cessation. 

“Whether you are a smoker who is finally looking to quit or someone who might live with a smoker and is affected by secondhand smoke, the City and its partner health advocates want to make sure people know where and how they can get help to quit,” said Courtney Jones, health services manager for the City of St. Louis. Mayor Francis Slay will issue a proclamation declaring April 13 – 17 Smoking Cessation Awareness Week for the City of St. Louis. 

Other events and activities related to Smoking Cessation Awareness Week include: 

  • Freedom from Smoking classes offered by City of St. Louis Department of Health and local community health centers; 
  • Cessation resources and information available in the Department of Health’s lobby at 1520 Market Street ; and 
  • Cessation resources and information available online and through social media. 

Smoking Cessation Awareness Week events will target St. Louis smokers, encouraging them to quit, and providing the resources to do so. Some key messages the partnership wants to convey to smokers are: 

  • Smoking is a medical addiction issue, not a moral one; • Success rates for quitting increase when combining professional counseling with cessation medicine; and, 
  • There are resources that can be used to help you quit, including the Missouri Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). 

Show Me You Can Quit partners include Ameren, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, AT&T Missouri, BJC Healthcare, City of St. Louis Department of Health, Esse Health, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Mercy, Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Metro Transit- St. Louis, Missouri Quit Line, Missouri State Medical Association, Pfizer, Siteman Cancer Center, SSM Healthcare, St. Anthony’s Physician Organization, St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition, St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis County Health Department, St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society, St. Louis Rams, St. Louis University Cancer Center, St. Louis University Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, Tobacco Free Missouri, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Washington University School of Medicine. 

 For more information on how to quit smoking visit the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services smoking and tobacco webpage at http://health.mo.gov/living/wellness/tobacco/smokingandtobacco/ 
  • Department:
    Department of Health
  • Topic:
    Health

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