Mills County Plan to Quit Smoking

Sheri Bowen wants Mills County to be healthier. The Mills County Public Health administrator is encouraging residents that smoke cigarettes to use the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout as a starting point for quitting. “ We're asking folks to consider stopping smoking,” she said. Bowen said some residents plan to quit on the Smokeout date, Nov. 15, while others are using the day to focus on a “quit date.” Either way, Bowen hopes smokers will make a commitment to quit. “Quitting is a very important step in reducing cancer risk, as tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and death in the U.S.,” she said. “The American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout is a great first step for smokers to take charge of their health by quitting or making a plan to quit, and the Society can help smokers through a variety of resources. Utilizing these resources can greatly improve success rates and help smokers quit for good.” The Smokeout is part of Bowen and the county’s continuing effort to improve health. Last year a study by the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation scored Mills 96th of 99 on overall health in the state, including 96th in mortality. The county also has a higher rate of smoking and heart disease – tobacco use is a contributing factor to heart disease, Bowen said – when compared to the other 99 counties in Iowa. “ We're all familiar with the county health rankings,” the administrator said. “We want to change that.” According to an American Cancer Society report, smokers who quit can expect to live as many as ten years longer than those who continue to smoke. Research shows that much of the risk of premature death from smoking could be prevented by quitting. Smokers who quit reduce their risk of lung cancer – ten years after quitting, the lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker’s – and lower their risk for other major diseases including heart disease and stroke.