Thursday, November 17 is the 29th Annual American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. This event encourages smokers to quit, spotlights the dangers of tobacco use and acknowledges the challenges of quitting. In celebration of the Great American Smokeout, the Champaign County Tobacco Prevention Coalition will offer free “Quit Kits” to encourage smokers to quit for a lifetime by starting with just one day.

The “Quit Kits” contain items such as: candy, hand puzzles, mouthwash, water bottles, stress balls and straws to help smokers keep their hands and mouths busy without lighting up. Benefits of quitting and local resources are also included in the “quit kit”.

The "Quit Kits" will be available beginning the week of Monday, November 14, 2004, on a first- come-first-served basis at the following locations:

•  Planned Parenthood of East Central Illinois 302 E. Stoughton, Champaign

•  Prairie Center Health Systems 718 Killarney, Urbana

•  Douglass Branch Library 504 E. Grove, Champaign

•  Champaign Public Library 505 S. Randolph, Champaign

•  Urbana Free Library 201 S. Race, Urbana

•  Champaign-Urbana Public Health District 815 N. Randolph, Champaign, and
  710 N. Neil St., Champaign

For more information on how to quit smoking, call the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District/Champaign County Public Health Department at (217) 531-2914 or visit the web site at www.cuphd.org. Additional services are also provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health by calling 1-866-QUIT-YES (1-866-784-8937).

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In State-wide Drill, Health and Safety Officials Practice Bio-Terrorism Response

Event Will Test State and Local Authorities’ Ability to Get Federally Stockpiled Medicines to Those Affected by an Attack

State and local emergency officials will rehearse their response to a mock bio- terrorist event on November 10. The drill will involve state health, police, emergency management and transportation agencies, as well as Champaign- Urbana and Champaign County Public Health, Carle Foundation Hospital, Provena Covenant Medical Center, the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency and the University of Illinois.

The event will test how quickly and efficiently emergency responders can deliver drugs and medical supplies currently stored in the Strategic National Stockpile to those affected by a natural or man-made disease outbreak or bio-terrorism event.

In the drill, state authorities will deliver large quantities of medicines and medical supplies to Champaign County hospitals and to Public Health. The hospitals will then test their ability to utilize the materials in a mock response. (Public Health tested its ability to distribute medicines to large numbers of people in a drill at Parkland College on September 22.)

This exercise is part of an ongoing statewide effort to prepare for any natural or man-made disaster that endangers public health.

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Planned Parenthood Teams Up With Public Health and Champaign County Health Care Consumers on November 5

Planned Parenthood of East Central Illinois to Distribute Free Emergency Contraception; Public Health to Offer Risk-Reduction Counseling and Tests for Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Public Health will join Planned Parenthood and the Champaign County Health Care Consumers on Saturday, November 5, to offer vital health services to women. At the event, called “The Great EC Giveaway,” doctors and nurse practitioners with Planned Parenthood will offer women free supplies of Emergency Contraception (EC). Public Health staff will provide skills-based risk reduction education about sexually transmitted diseases, and will offer information, condoms and on-site tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea.

The event, sponsored by Planned Parenthood, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Champaign County Health Care Consumers, will be held from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, November 5 at the Illinois Disciples Foundation, 610 E. Springfield, Champaign.

If taken soon after unprotected vaginal intercourse, Emergency Contraception prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation, fertilization or implantation. It will not cause an abortion.

Emergency Contraception is most efficient when taken immediately after sexual intercourse. It may be taken up to 120 hours after unprotected intercourse but has a reduced efficiency as time passes. It does not protect against sexually transmitted infections. Emergency contraception can be used when a condom breaks, after a sexual assault, or any time unprotected vaginal intercourse occurs.