CARMEL – Smoking remains a major health concern throughout Putnam County.
According to the latest data provided by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 17,800 men and women smoke, 18 percent, as compared to 11.5 percent of residents in the Mid-Hudson Valley.
The recently released Community Health Assessment, called the CHA, reports that from 2018 to 2021 rates of Putnam residents who smoke increased 85 percent, going from 9.0 percent to 16.7 percent over that period.
To help residents quit, the health department offers the American Lung Association’s evidenced-based program called Freedom from Smoking. The program is offered free to Putnam residents and class schedules are announced on the Putnam County Department of Health website. To help plan the next session, interested residents are encouraged to contact the health department. Information about time availability and preference for in-person or virtual classes is available by calling 845-808-1390.
Alexa Contreras, a bilingual health educator at the Putnam County Health Department, noted, “If you have ever wanted to quit, or have tried before but have been unsuccessful, this is the program to try.”
Health educator Victoria DiLonardo added, “Quitting tobacco is considered one of the best things you can do to improve your health. Most people who quit for good have had previous attempts. So, it pays to keep trying.”
Putnam’s former Commissioner of Health Dr. Michael Nesheiwat who currently serves as the Putnam Correctional Facility physician, called the numbers of Putnam smokers “alarming. Currently, 16 million Americans are living with a smoking related disease. The benefits of quitting smoking are almost immediately measurable. After 12 hours carbon monoxide levels in one’s blood drops to normal. Two to three weeks later, circulation improves and lung function increases.”
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