My dad, like many people 20 and 30 years ago, was a smoker. I remember telling him that the smoke burned my eyes and made it hard to breathe. So, he’d smoke outside of the house, or drive with the windows down (even in the winter!) so I didn’t breathe it in. But eventually, the family and I talked him into quitting for good.
He actually attended a Great American Smokeout Retreat in Cincinnati hosted by The American Cancer Society. It was a whole weekend dedicated to helping smokers quit for good, and it was even on the news! Funny story — when we called him the first day into the retreat, he said it was a draining, painful experience going through the withdrawals, and then on TV he was shown laughing and dancing with everyone! haha!
The Smokeout was truly life-changing for him because the experience not only helped him quit smoking that weekend, but gave him the information, willpower and tools he needed to remain a non-smoker for the rest of his life. He hasn’t picked up a cigarette since the Smokeout — how amazing is that!?
So, as you can imagine, I was very excited to hear that my friend, Sherri Warshaw, RDH, CTTS, and her company Smokefree Steps, LLC is doing a HUGE push to get the word out about The Great American Smokeout this year.
Sherri started out as licensed Registered Dental Hygienist in Ohio and Florida and later received her certification as a tobacco treatment specialist at the Mayo Clinic. Through her company, she works with smokers and nonsmokers to educate, treat, and advocate for a nonsmoking and healthier lifestyle. She’s now been working with smokers for more than 40 years to help them become smokefree!
So, I hope you’ll join Sherri in her efforts on Thursday, November 21, 2013 as she celebrates The Great American Smokeout across the USA. She can help individuals, groups, businesses, organizations, and schools in their efforts to become tobacco/nicotine free and educate them about the devastating effects and the toll it is taking on many levels. So, please contact Sherri and talk to her about a plan for you, your employees, or pass her information on to a smoker you love. You will contribute to saving and prolonging their life!
Sherri Warshaw, RDH, CTTS
Smokefree Steps, LLC
And, in case you’re curious, here’s a little info about The Great American Smokeout: It first began in San Francisco in 1977 as a day to raise awareness about smoking and its effects. On this day, the American Cancer Society makes a huge movement to urge smokers to use this day as an opportunity to stop smoking, make a plan to quit, or spread the word about how to fight nicotine addiction.
Some USA statistics:
- 96 Billion dollars a year are spent on smoking related health costs
- 43 million Americans smoke cigarettes, 13.2 million smoke cigars
- 1 in 3 cancer deaths are related to smoking
- every smoker that dies is replaced by 2 young smokers starting,
- every day the equivalent of three 747 jumbo jets crashing is the daily loss of life to smoking in America.