'Steppin' Out Against Tobacco' walk May 21

Join the “Steppin' Out Against Tobacco” Walk on Saturday, May 21, in celebration of World No Tobacco Day! Walk to honor loved ones lost to a tobacco related illness and to support the many efforts taking place to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.

The walk, sponsored by the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center's Tobacco Free Lake County program, will be held at Lake County's Independence Grove Forest Preserve, 16400 W. Buckley Road in Libertyville. Walkers who wear a World No Tobacco Day walk T-shirt from a previous year will be entered into a drawing for prizes.

There is no entry fee; however, pre-registration is strongly recommended. Walkers can register by calling Tobacco Free Lake County at (847) 377-8090. On-site registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the North Bay Pavilion.

The 3.7-mile walk through beautiful Independence Grove will begin at 9 a.m. Free blood pressure and other health screenings will be available. There will be fun for the whole family with face painting and temporary tattoos for the kids.

World No Tobacco Day is celebrated around the world annually on May 31. This yearly celebration is intended to encourage smokers to quit and to raise public awareness about the health impacts of tobacco. Each year approximately 440,000 people in the United States die from their tobacco use and 65,000 people die from secondhand smoke.

For more information about the “Steppin' Out Against Tobacco” Walk or about the programs offered by Tobacco Free Lake County, call (847) 377-8090 or email TFLC@lakecountyil.gov. Funding for this event is provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health.