HCC hosts second smoking cessation workshop for campus community

Halifax Community College (HCC) hosted its second smoking cessation workshop for faculty, staff and students, Aug. 25. The presenter was Halifax County Health Department Health Educator Laura Ellis. Information covered the health hazards of smoking and tobacco cessation.

According to the most recent statistics from 2007, 25.4 percent of adults (ages 18 and up) in eastern North Carolina say they are smokers. This figure compares to 22.9 percent of adults across the state who say they are smokers. “People have more stress in their lives, so more people are smoking,” said Ellis. She then highlighted some major health effects of cigarette smoking.

Ellis also talked about second-hand smoke. Even if a person does not smoke, but is consistently exposed to second-hand smoke, he or she is at risk for the same illnesses as someone who does smoke. “There is no safe amount of second-hand smoke,” she said. Second-hand smoke is also a known cause of sudden infant death syndrome and children are more likely to have lung problems, ear infections and severe asthma with constant exposure.

“It is hard to quit. You cannot make a person quit if they don’t want to. You can’t make bargains—if this, then that. It just won’t work,” added Ellis. Many different resources are available for those interested in quitting including QuitlineNC.com, Smokefree.gov, and the American Cancer Society, among others.

Benefits of quitting include a return to normal blood pressure and pulse rates, normal body temperature, a reduced carbon monoxide level, normal oxygen levels, reduced chances of heart attack, better ability to smell and taste, improved blood circulation and lung function, clear lungs, reduced coughing and risk of lung infection, and reduced risk of heart disease, lung cancer and cancer of the mouth and throat.

Laura Ellis