Melanie Blasko, Pres. & CEO
E-Mail: mblasko@lgrc.us
Phone: 440.255.0678
Fax: 440.255.6348
Alternate: John Keller, Chief Development Officer
Phone: 440.205.2671
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1st is Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action
Mentor, OH April 1, 2021: Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers is proud to participate in Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action. Take Down Tobacco, is the signature platform for empowering people to stand up and speak out against the tobacco industry. The Take Down Tobacco program is a 365 day a year effort that culminates every spring with the Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action. This year’s Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action will be held on April 1, 2021.
Despite the enormous progress made over the past several decades in reducing cigarette smoking rates, according the Take Down Tobacco website, tobacco use remains the number one cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., killing more than 480,000 people per year. In addition:
- 16 million people in the U.S. who currently suffer from smoking-caused illness
- 9% of kids aged 3-11 are exposed to secondhand smoke daily
- 6 million kids under 18 alive today who will ultimately die from smoking (unless smoking rates decline) $170 billion is the amount spent each year on tobacco-related medical bills
Youth vaping rates have skyrocketed in the past few years, and now 1 in 4 U.S. high school students — over 5.4 million kids total — use e-cigarettes. This epidemic is no accident, e-cigarette companies intentionally targeted kids and teens with slick designs, appealing flavors, and targeted youth advertising on social media. In December 2018, the Surgeon General issued an advisory “officially declaring e-cigarette use among youth an epidemic in the United State” and the World Health Organization (WHO) reiterates for all people that “e-cigarettes are harmful to health and are not safe.” E-cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive drug that can cause lasting damage to the adolescent brain during a critical time in development. Additionally, e-cigarettes can also expose youth to harmful and carcinogenic chemicals.
Smokers can and do quit smoking. Quitting smoking greatly reduces the risk of developing smoking-related diseases and, for those who struggle with the use of other drugs, quitting tobacco products is found to decrease the risk of relapse. Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers offers assistance to help those who want to quit their use of tobacco products. Our initiatives include:
- Second hand smoke policy implementation
- Cessation Treatment Services
- Geauga Vaping Task Force- Agency collaboration on youth prevention outreach
- Point of Sale Policy implementation
- Store Audit and Compliance Checks
- Youth Led AOD projects
- Social Media outreach
- Paid media campaigns
- Educational materials distributed at schools and local agencies
For more information about our tobacco cessation program and other services, or to schedule an appointment with Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers, please contact us at 440-255-0678 or visit us online at www.lgrc.us/services/.
Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers is a private, nonprofit agency providing continuous service to the community since 1971. Services at Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers are made possible due to the generous support of the Lake County ADAMHS Board, the Geauga Board of MHRS, and United Way of Lake & Geauga Counties.
# # #