World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is an annual program of the World Health Organization (WHO) which highlights the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocates for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. The focus of this year’s World No Tobacco Day is "Tobacco and Heart Disease."
The 2018 campaign is designed to increase awareness about the link between tobacco and heart and other cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, which combined are the world’s leading causes of death.
In recognition of World No Tobacco Day 2018, the Smoking Cessation Trust is encouraging Louisiana smokers (22.8% according to the United Health Foundation’s 2017 America’s Health Rankings® Report) to take this opportunity to eliminate tobacco from their lives.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, imposing a toll in health, lives, and dollars on families, businesses, and government. Tobacco kills 480,000 people annually – more than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides combined. Annually, tobacco costs Louisiana $1.89 billion in healthcare expenditures and $2.49 billion in lost productivity.
“With the tobacco industry now admitting publicly that there is a definitive link between smoking and heart disease, we can confidently say that the cessation services we provide at no charge to eligible Louisiana residents are successfully helping people to completely eliminate the harmful effects of smoking cigarettes from their lives,” said Mike Rogers, CEO of the Smoking Cessation Trust Management Services (“SCTMS”).
To date, Smoking Cessation Trust has reached more than 90,000 Louisianans with the message that quitting now is one of the best things they can do for their health, their families, and their wallets.
For more information, or to apply for the free products and services provided by the trust, visit www.smokefreela.org or call locally at (504) 529-5665 or toll-free at (855) 259-6346.