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American Legacy Foundation(R) supports
National Public Health Week and 'Healthy Aging'

Comments from Cheryl Healton, Dr. PH, foundation president and CEO

WASHINGTON, April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Legacy Foundation recognizes National Public Health Week as an opportunity for Americans to focus on ways they can improve their health and that of family and friends. No single action achieves these goals more directly than choosing to live a smoke-free life. Every year tobacco-related disease kills about 440,000 people in the United States, making it the single-largest preventable cause of death in this country.

Choosing to stop smoking at any age can result in health improvements:

  * Five to 15 years after smoking, a former smoker reduces risk of stroke to the same as a non-smoker's.(1)

  * Ten years after quitting, a former smoker's risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a smoker.(2)

  * And quitting smoking increases life expectancy: Quitting at age 45 increases life expectancy by 5 to 7 years.  Quitting at age 55 increases life expectancy by 3 to 6 years.  Quitting at age 65 increases life expectancy by 2 to 4 years.(3)

  * Soon after you quit smoking your risk of heart disease and heart attack declines. Within five years the risk is equivalent to a non-smoker.

Quitting smoking is difficult, yet we know that 70 percent of smokers still say they want to quit.(4) To provide these smokers with the help they need to successfully quit, we have established a basic set of guidelines that any smoker can adapt to his or her own life.

1. Talk to your doctor: Before beginning any smoking cessation plan you should always consult with a health care provider and ask about medications that can reduce cravings, and help you quit.

2. Get counseling: Professional counseling can dramatically increase your chances of quitting. Find out about resources in your community including one-on-one sessions and/or group sessions. You can also call 1-800-QUITNOW.

3. Get support from family, friends and co-workers: People with a strong social support network are more likely to quit for good.

These guidelines can help any smoker who wants to quit, and a smoker who makes this choice also can improve the health of family and friends. Most smokers understand the impacts smoking will have on their own health, but America's children are silent victims of smoking. Last summer, foundation research documented how tobacco -- specifically secondhand smoke -- caused increased incidence of pediatric asthma cases, ear infections, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome for America's children. Protecting our children and being around for them in the long term is a motivation for many parents and grandparents to quit. On average, smokers lose 14 years of potential life.(5) So, making the choice to stop smoking also means gaining years of time with family and friends.

Addressing tobacco-related illness as America's number-one preventable cause of death is the American Legacy Foundation's focus during American Public Health Week and every other day of the year. For more information on tobacco prevention and cessation, we invite you to visit us at http://www.americanlegacy.org/ and join us in building a tobacco-free world.

American Legacy Foundation