For Immediate Release:
November 14, 2007

Contact:
Nanci Gonder
Office of Public Information
573-751-6062

Missourians urged to quit during Great American Smokeout
Missouri lung cancer deaths remain high despite national decline

The new Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer shows that lung cancer death rates are declining nationwide, however the rate of Missourians dying from lung cancer has remained virtually unchanged for the past decade.

Lung cancer deaths in the United States have dropped significantly, especially for men, whose rate of death decreased 2 percent per year from 1995 to 2004, according to the report.

"We continue to reach out to Missourians to help them understand the importance of quitting smoking to reduce lung cancer deaths in our state," said Stan Cowan, manager of the Tobacco Use Prevention Program at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

 In 2005, lung cancer was responsible for the death of 3,882 Missourians, compared to 3,687 deaths in 1996. Another 6,000 Missouri residents die each year from other smoking-related diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

A consistently higher-than-average smoking rate is the primary reason Missouri’s death rate from lung cancer has not dropped, according to the state health department. Missouri has one of the highest smoking rates in the nation  – more than 23 percent of adults in the state smoke, compared to 20 percent nationwide.
Missouri ranks 6th worst in the nation for smoking-related deaths.

Missourians are being urged to quit smoking during the annual Great American Smokeout on Nov. 15.

"If we could help more people stop smoking, or never start in the first place, Missouri would see fewer smoking-related deaths," Cowan said. "Comprehensive anti-smoking efforts pay off and we applaud the governor's support for cessation and education efforts."

Gov. Matt Blunt is committed to stepping up the state's efforts. The governor previously recommended that $875,000 of the proceeds from a settlement reached with several of the smaller tobacco companies be used
to institute new youth tobacco prevention programs. However, this proposal was not included in the final budget passed by the General Assembly.

Every third Thursday in November, the American Cancer Society sponsors the Great American Smokeout where smokers across the country are encouraged to give up smoking for at least a day and, hopefully, forever.

“The Great American Smokeout is a good opportunity for people who smoke to think about the damage they are doing to their health now and in the future,” Cowan said. “When you quit smoking your health begins to improve almost immediately.”

• Within twenty minutes of quitting, blood pressure and pulse return to normal.
• Within one day of quitting, the chance of a heart attack decreases.
• Within five years of quitting, the lung cancer death rate for the average pack-a-day smoker drops by almost half.

To help smokers quit, the state health department offers a statewide toll-free telephone counseling service that provides callers with a counseling session and a kit of self-help materials. The Missouri Tobacco Quitline number is 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

In addition, medications that can greatly increase a person’s chance of successfully quitting tobacco use are covered by many health insurance plans, Cowan added. Individuals should check with their health care provider and insurance company to find out more about these medications.

More information about Missouri’s Tobacco Quitline and the health risks related to smoking and secondhand smoke can be found at: www.dhss.mo.gov/SmokingAndTobacco/.

The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer is a collaborative effort by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute and the North American Central Cancer Registries.