November is Great American Smokout Month

The American Cancer Society is marking the 36th Great American Smokeout on November 17 by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By doing so, smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life – one that can lead to reducing cancer risk. Quitting smoking is not easy, but it can be done. To have the best chance of quitting successfully, you need to know what you're up against, what your options are, and where to go for help.

Quitting smoking is one of the most important steps you can take to help create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

The federal government has taken a tougher stance against tobacco over the past couple of years, banning certain products and marketing tactics, and increasing regulation. It’s an important step toward helping people break a habit with devastating health effects.

These recent developments – and the wide range of tools available to help people stop smoking – mean there has never been a better time to quit. Fewer people smoking can mean a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US, yet an estimated 46.6 million Americans still smoke. However, more than half of these smokers have attempted to quit for at least one day in the past year. If you or someone you know needs help quitting, join thousands of people across the country in making November 17 the day you make a plan to quit for good, during the American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout®.

Quitting is hard, but you can increase your chances of success with help. The American Cancer Society can tell you about the steps you can take to quit smoking and provide the resources and support that can increase your chances of quitting successfully. To learn about the available tools, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345. You can also find free tips and tools online at cancer.org/smokeout. The Society also offers applications on online social networks like Facebook to help you quit or join the fight against tobacco.

Every day, the American Cancer Society is working to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays– and by quitting smoking, you can take one of the most important steps toward helping make this world a reality. Depending on the age at which they quit, ex-smokers can add up to 9 or 10 more birthdays to their lives. Younger quitters can add more years of life, but nearly everyone who quits adds to their lifespan – and improves quality of life. Overall, one-third of cancer deaths could be prevented if people avoided tobacco products.

While we have made great progress to fight tobacco, there is still much work to do. Everyone can fight back to save lives, and the Great American Smokeout is a great time to start. If you want to quit smoking or help a loved one quit, the American Cancer Society is in your corner. Together, we can save lives and create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Join us for the Great American Smokeout, and make November 17 the day you plan to quit for good. For tips on the steps you can take to quit smoking or get involved in the fight against tobacco, visit www.cancer.org/smokeout or call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345.

Happy Halloween!!

A few safety tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission can protect children who plan to go trick-or-treating this Halloween.

Treats: Warn children not to eat any treats before an adult has carefully examined them for evidence of tampering.

Flame Resistant Costumes: When purchasing a costume, masks, beards, and wigs, look for the label Flame Resistant. Although this label does not mean these items won't catch fire, it does indicate the items will resist burning and should extinguish quickly once removed from the ignition source. To minimize the risk of contact with candles or other sources of ignition, avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts.

Costume Designs: Purchase or make costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists.
• For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car's headlights. Bags or sacks should also be light colored or decorated with reflective tape. Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle, and sporting goods stores.
• To easily see and be seen, children should also carry flashlights.
• Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling.
• Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes. Mother's high heels are not a good idea for safe walking.
• Hats and scarves should be tied securely to prevent them from slipping over children's eyes.
• Apply a natural mask of cosmetics rather than have a child wear a loose-fitting mask that might restrict breathing or obscure vision. If a mask is used, however, make sure it fits securely and has eyeholes large enough to allow full vision.
• Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be of soft and flexible material.
Pedestrian Safety: Young children should always be accompanied by an adult or an older, responsible child. All children should WALK, not run from house to house and use the sidewalk if available, rather than walk in the street. Children should be cautioned against running out from between parked cars, or across lawns and yards where ornaments, furniture, or clotheslines present dangers.
Choosing Safe Houses: Children should go only to homes where the residents are known and have outside lights on as a sign of welcome.
• Children should not enter homes or apartments unless they are accompanied by an adult.
• People expecting trick-or-treaters should remove anything that could be an obstacle from lawns, steps and porches. Candlelit jack-o'-lanterns should be kept away from landings and doorsteps where costumes could brush against the flame. Indoor jack-o'-lanterns should be kept away from curtains, decorations, and other furnishings that could be ignited.

From the Consumer Product Safety Commission

Rally for Childhood Education

Rally for Childhood Education

Oct. 22 is Make A Difference Day

On the 4th Saturday of October,(Oct. 22), millions of Americans are gathering together to help their neighbors. It was created by USA WEEKEND, and is the most encompassing national day to volunteer in some way…ANY WAY, to help others.

WHO: Anyone. Just go on the website or call the Hot Line to see what’s happening in YOUR area...or plan something on your own. Large or small, it doesn’t matter, just that we all get out to help some way!

You can also enter your project for an award. 10 projects will be selected.

The Make a Difference Day website has all kinds of information and examples of volunteering done in the past. Homeless people, children, patients in hospitals, US Troops, all kinds of charities here in the US and around the world benefit! It’s really exciting when we all do something!

For Help Getting Started GO TO: Make a Difference Day/USA WEEKEND/usaweekend.com
Or Make A Difference Day Hot Line, 1-800-416-3824

Blog by: Carol Cochard Pool, M.S.W.