Health Department to observe Kick-Butts Day

The McHenry County Department of Health joins young people in McHenry County and across the country in observing Kick-Butts Day Wednesday, March 16. Kick-Butts Day is a national day of activism encouraging young people to take action and speak out against tobacco use.

According to Mike Hill, administrator for McHenry County Department of Health, "Kick-Butts Day creates a focus for ongoing efforts that take place all year long."

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Consider these facts:

• Yearly, around half a million people die from a smoking related illness - 42,000 of these are from secondhand smoke.

• One in every five deaths from all causes is smoking related.

• The average smoker dies 10 years earlier than a nonsmoker.

• Each day, more than 3,200 people younger than 18 smoke their first cigarette.

If the statistics haven't gotten your attention, let's talk about cost. A pack of cigarettes in today's market averages $5.50. In one year, a pack-a-day smoker burns $2,007. At this rate, after 35 years, the smoker sets fire to $70,262.

But cigarettes are not the only cost. Smokers often pay more for insurance than nonsmokers and spend more on doctors' visits and medications for coughs, colds, ear infections, etc.

There are many reasons to quit, but it is hard to think of one good reason to remain a smoker. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty…".

Whatever your incentive, MCDH wants you to choose this year to quit For tips to help with quitting, call Dominic at (815) 334-4525.