CUPHD Polls Focus Group of Champaign County Residents About Smoke-free Illinois
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2008
Contact
Nikki Hillier, Program Coordinator
(217) 531-2916
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
CUPHD Polls Focus Group of Champaign County Residents About Smoke-free Illinois
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and partners focus on the successes of Smoke-free Illinois in celebration of World No Tobacco Day 2008
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) has partnered with the American Cancer Society, C-U Smoke-free Alliance, Champaign County Tobacco Prevention Coalition, Parkland College, and the Prairie Center Health Systems to promote World No Tobacco Day, May 31, 2008. The campaign, which focuses on the question “Why do you like Smoke-free Illinois?,” will be featured on MTD buses and movie screens at Savoy 16 starting May 30, 2008.
The quotes and photos feature six different Champaign County residents including:
- “Papa” George – Champaign Restaurant Owner: “A smoke-free Illinois is a healthier, tastier reality!”
- Anne Robin – University of Illinois Physician: “I like Smoke-free Illinois because my patients and I can all breathe better!”
- Ed – Local Champaign Musician: “I think this is the best thing to happen for musicians in this community in a long time!”
- Mabinty – Parkland College Student: “I love it! I think it is a great step towards helping people stop smoking, promote better health and even save money.”
- Abbey – Mahomet Student: “Smoke-free Illinois helps me stay smokefree!”
- Pam – Dental Clinic Administrative Assistant: “It motivated me to quit smoking for me and my family and helped us start a better lifestyle!”
“The response from the project poll was overwhelmingly positive,” said Nikki Hillier, Program Coordinator for CUPHD, “It was difficult to choose only six quotes for the WNTD 2008 campaign. Although Smoke-free Illinois has only been in effect for a short time, about six months, it has truly changed people’s lives.”
Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) attributes about 5 million deaths a year to tobacco use, a figure expected to rise to about 10 million deaths a year by 2020, with 7 million of these deaths occurring in developing countries.
Tobacco is the only legal consumer product that kills one third to one half of those who use it as intended by its manufacturers, with its victims dying on average 15 years prematurely.
For more information about the World No Tobacco Day 2008, smoking cessation programs at CUPHD, or any other CUPHD programs and services, please call 217-3527961 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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