{"id":129779,"date":"2021-05-29T08:52:32","date_gmt":"2021-05-29T12:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=129779"},"modified":"2021-05-29T08:52:32","modified_gmt":"2021-05-29T12:52:32","slug":"quitting-smoking-is-one-of-the-most-important-steps-you-can-take-to-improve-your-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/quitting-smoking-is-one-of-the-most-important-steps-you-can-take-to-improve-your-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Quitting smoking is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Tobacco use remains a public health problem in the Caribbean Region. It is a preventable cause of illness and death, yet it contributes to the development of non-communicable diseases including heart disease and stroke, diabetes, respiratory diseases, and cancer.\u00a0 These diseases are the greatest contributors to illness and deaths in the CARICOM region,\u201d stated CARPHA Executive Director Dr. Joy St. John in observance of World No Tobacco Day.\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>

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Observed annually, on 31st May, World No Tobacco Day aims to inform the public of the dangers of using tobacco, the business practices of tobacco companies, and what people can do to claim their right to health, and healthy living and to protect future generations.\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

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Cigarette smoking is the main form of tobacco use, and men are far more likely to use cigarettes than Caribbean women. The prevalence of current tobacco smoking ranges from 13.3% in Barbados to 23% in Guyana for adult males and from 7.7% in Barbados to 12.6% in Guyana for adult women.\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>

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The non-Latin Caribbean has the second highest prevalence of tobacco use among 13-15 years olds (14.4%) in the Americas that ranges from 7.5% in Antigua and Barbuda to 25.3% in Dominica. In Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago adolescents use more e-cigarettes than conventional cigarettes. 1,2<\/u><\/u><\/p>

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This year\u2019s theme is Commit to Quit. Quitting smoking is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health. People who quit smoking after having a heart attack reduce their chances of having another heart attack by 50%.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the benefits of quitting tobacco are almost immediate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>

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<\/u>\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/u>Within 20 minutes of quitting, your heart rate and blood pressure drop.\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

<\/u>\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/u>Within 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.\u00a0\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>

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<\/u>\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/u>Within 2-12 weeks, your circulation improves and lung function increases.\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>

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<\/u>\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/u>Within 1-9 months, coughing and shortness of breath decrease.\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

<\/u>\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/u>Within 5-15 years, your stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker.\u00a0<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n