Accomplish your Resolution to Quit Smoking with MHP’s Freedom from Smoking Classes
Mahaska Health Partnership
MAHASKA COUNTY – Mahaska Health Partnership Cardiopulmonary Services will again be offering an eight-week Freedom from Smoking Class beginning Tuesday, Jan. 8.
Freedom from Smoking is a proven program developed by the American Lung Association to help smokers quit for good. According to certified instructor Kai Schwab, each smoker who joins this class will develop an individual plan for quitting and will learn the latest updates on stress management and pharmaceutical interventions.
“Quitting smoking can be the single most important step a smoker can take to improve his or her life, as well as the lives of those around them,” Schwab stressed. “This face-to-face program has proven effective for more than one million people since it was developed 30 years ago.”
Most people realize smoking can lead to cancer, however; the American Cancer Society says that smoking increases occurrences of pneumonia and your risk of getting emphysema and chronic bronchitis, grouped together as COPD. They also explain that smokers are twice as likely to die from heart-attacks as are non-smokers and smoking is a major risk factor for peripheral vascular disease or narrowing of the blood vessels.
“Everyone has their own personal reasons for wanting to quit smoking, but the best reason is to improve your health,” Schwab said. “Anytime is a good time to quit, whether you have been a life-long smoker or just picked up the habit recently. Every day as a non-smoker is a step toward a healthier life.”
The Freedom from Smoking classes will be offered over eight weeks with class meeting every Tuesday, beginning Jan. 8, from 6 to 8 pm on the MHP campus in Oskaloosa. For more information and to register for the Freedom from Smoking classes, contact certified Freedom from Smoking instructor Kai Schwab at 641-672-3163.
Mahaska Health Partnership, located in Oskaloosa, is a non-profit health system accredited by the Joint Commission. It is guided by its mission to provide exceptional customer service and health improvement, linking the science of medicine with the humanity of compassionate care. For more information about how Mahaska Health Partnership is making healthcare personal, visit www.mahaskahealth.org.
