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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kelly Rumpf, 779-7234
World No Tobacco Day 2015
(Kingsford and Iron River, MI) Each year, on May 31st, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners mark
World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for
effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.
The WHO is joined by organizations and individuals around the globe in an effort to raise awareness
about the health harms caused by tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure. New this year, the
Dickinson-Iron Tobacco Free Community Coalition is working towards making parks and beaches
tobacco-free in Dickinson and Iron Counties.
Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Michigan—killing more than
16,200 Michigan residents each year. 10,300 Michigan youth become new regular, daily smokers each
year, and more than 1/3 of these children will die prematurely as a result.
“We’ve made great strides over the past 50 years in terms of reducing tobacco use and secondhand
smoke exposure, but the burden of tobacco use on Michigan residents remains unacceptable,” stated
Kelly Rumpf, Health Educator. “We need to prioritize funding for tobacco prevention and control
programming in order to protect our kids and help current tobacco users quit.”
In 2015 Michigan spent just $1.5 million on tobacco prevention and control programming, while tobacco
use cost the state over $9 billion in health care costs and lost productivity. Raising the price of cigarettes
and other tobacco products is a proven, effective way to reduce tobacco use rates and reduce youth
initiation. Spending a portion of the revenue generated from the price increase of tobacco products, on
tobacco prevention and control programming, increases the positive impact.
Tobacco use causes premature death and disease including heart disease, stroke, cancer, and
respiratory disease. Immediately after quitting, heart rate and blood pressure improve, and benefits
continue to be experienced over time including improved circulation, improved lung function, and
decreased risk of heart disease and cancer.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services offers a free telephone service to help tobacco
users quit. Callers can receive information and referral and, if qualified, enroll in a free coaching program
and even receive nicotine replacement medications to assist them in quitting. Call the Michigan Tobacco
Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) or visit online at https://michigan.quitlogix.org/ .
For more information on how you can become involved in the Coalition’s efforts, please contact Rumpf at
779-7234. For help in quitting tobacco use, talk with your healthcare provider or contact the Michigan
Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-784-8669. For more information about World No Tobacco Day visit
http://www.who.int/campaigns/no-tobacco-day/2015/event/en/.
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