Smoking Cessation

As you are probably aware, Smoking is recognized as the single greatest preventable cause of death in the United States, causing more than 440,000 deaths each year, and tops the list of major risk factors associated with the development of heart disease. In Minnesota, the self-reported smoking rate is approximately 20%, or 1 in 5 residents, and it is critical that we provide information, support and assistance to those individuals who want to quit.

 

Nicotine is a powerful and addictive drug found in cigarettes and other tobacco products.  Nicotine provides many desirable mental effects to include improved concentration, more energy and an increased sense of self-control.  The temporary relief of these symptoms however, should not be traded for the physically damaging health effects of smoking such as heart disease and cancer.  Smoking interacts with other risk factors to significantly increase the risk for coronary heart disease and is the number one cause of preventable deaths in the United States.