Primary Stroke Center: Smoking Cessation

At Altoona Regional, your health is one of our top priorities, and therefore we want to give you some information about quitting smoking.

Smoking continues to be the number one risk factor that causes heart and blood vessel disease and cancer. Smoking and secondhand smoke cause over 430,000 preventable deaths each year.

Cigarette and cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 harmful ingredients; many of these cause cancer.

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO QUIT
No matter how long or how much you have smoked, when you quit, your risks decrease. Slips and relapses are part of the path to success. Forgive yourself and try again, and again, and again. You will succeed.

WHAT CHANGES WILL YOU SEE AFTER YOU QUIT?

• You will breathe easier!
• You will have more energy, feel more alive and your mood improves!
• Your sense of smell and taste will come back!
• Your clothes, furniture and car will smell better!
• Smoker's cough decreases!
• Your lungs' cleansing function returns to normal!
• Within 20 minutes, your blood pressure returns to normal!
• Within 9 months, your risk of infection decreases!
• One year after you quit, your risk of heart attack is half of that of a smoker!
• Your stroke risk is equal to that of a non-smoker 5-15 years after you stop smoking!
• You save money! At $6.00/pack per day=$2,190 savings per year!

MORE INFORMATION
Talk with your doctor. Medication options and counseling are available. You can also call Blair County Human Services at 693-3112 or visit some of the links below:

www.americanheart.org
www.strokeassociation.org
www.cancer.org
www.quitnet.com