TN Quit Week For Tobacco Users

The fifth annual TN Quit Week is this week, a program that’s spreading awareness of free tobacco quitting programs.

Power of Putnam Grant Coordinator Sarah Blessing said to take advantage of local resources to help you quit smoking.

“It is very important,” Blessing said. “Here in Tennessee, 31 lives are lost each day as a direct result of smoking. In addition to those early deaths, tobacco costs our state $6 billion a year, and tobacco use is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and other chronic diseases.”

Power of Putnam offers a free Quit For Life class at CRMC for both adults and youths struggling with nicotine addiction.

Blessing said the cancer causing materials are in tobacco smoke and vape devices, along with other harmful chemicals, especially in vaping.

“So in vape devices you have rat poisoning, formaldehyde, some materials that batteries contain-there are lots of other things. There’s so many dangers in vaping,” Blessing said.

She adds if too much physical exposure to some of the nicotine oils in vape devices can cause illness.

For more information on how to quit, call 1-800-QUITNOW or visit the website.