Westchester County encourages smokers and e-cigarette users to give quitting a try by participating in the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout on Thursday, November 20.
Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler said: “Make a plan to quit today. Many tools, support groups and seven FDA-approved medicines are available to help adults stop using tobacco. Join the more than half of adults in the U.S. who have ever smoked who have already quit. Teens who want to stop vaping also can access the state’s new text support tool, DropTheVape.”
Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term health benefits, including lower heart rate and blood pressure, improved circulation and lung function, and reduced risk of heart attack and many types of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nearly one in five deaths nationwide is linked to smoking.
Residents who smoke or had a history of smoking should ask their doctor about lung cancer screening, which is covered by most insurance plans.
E-cigarettes are not a safe alternative. Most contain nicotine, a highly addictive stimulant that alters brain chemistry. According to the Stanford University Tobacco Prevention Toolkit, nicotine exposure can interfere with learning and memory, increase anxiety and irritability, and make it harder for adolescents to focus.
Residents who want to quit can find free or low-cost support here:
- Mount Vernon: Westchester Community Health Center, Ndeye Yacine Loum, 914-699-7200 x 1504;
- New Rochelle: United Community Center of Westchester, (se habla español), Saida Agustin, 914-813-2896,
- White Plains: The Loft LGBTQ+ Community Center, Darby Allison-Dugue, 914-948-2932, x 13,
- NYS Smokers’ Quitline - 1-866-NYQUITS (1-866-697-8487)
- Centers for Disease Control - 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)
- 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569) (Español)
American Cancer Society support groups - 1-800-277-2345 - American Lung Association - 1-800-LUNGUSA
- Find Meeting | Nicotine Anonymous (nicotine-anonymous.org) for online or phone meetings
- NY State: DropTheVape text support program.
- CDC: Text QUITNOW to 333888
Texto DÉJELO YA al 333888 (Español)
To reduce youth tobacco use in Westchester, the County Health Department has increased enforcement of the Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act program.
For more information about tobacco use prevention, go to www.westchestergov.com/health.