News and Events

Tobacco Free Partnership Promotes Tobacco-Free Businesses During Annual Great American Smokeout!
November 15, 2018

The Great American Smoke Out is a national day created by the American Cancer Society to encourage people to quit smoking.  Tobacco use is the number one cause of premature death in the United States, killing approximately 500,000 people each year.  This number includes about 10% of people who are not smokers themselves, but are people who live with smokers and are harmed by inhaling secondhand smoke.

The Dixie Tobacco Free Partnership encouraged local employers to recognize the Great American Smoke Out (GASO) at their workplaces. Hitchcock’s of Old Town and Cheek’s Pharmacy of Cross City participated in the observance this year. Each employer gave out palm cards with information on the cost of smoking, and how much money tobacco users would save if they kicked the habit. Cessation information was also provided as part of the Great American Smoke Out observance in Dixie County. 

Every year Tobacco Free Florida works with organizations in all 67 Florida counties to promote tobacco cessation during the week of GASO.  Smokers who quit receive immediate benefits, and over the long-term can drastically reduce their chance of cancer and heart disease to almost the same levels as if they had never smoked.  That is good news for anyone who wants to break the habit and rid themselves of nicotine addiction. Employees with a supportive work environment are finding it easier to quit smoking.  Advantages like decreased health insurance costs and better use of sick time certainly help, but spending eight-hours a day with co-workers and employers rooting for success is an added perk.

One of the goals of the Tobacco Free Partnership of Dixie County is to increase access to cessation services for all Dixie County residents, and to help local workplaces adopt policies to aid the communication of those services. Both employers that participated in the GASO also shared GASO palm cards with all customers.

The Tobacco Free Partnership of Dixie County is dedicated to the creation of tobacco-free social norms through a combination of community education, youth advocacy and changes in local tobacco policies.  The mission of the Tobacco Free Partnership of Dixie County reflects the goals of the CDC Best Practices, especially in regards to changes in local tobacco policies to create and promote tobacco-free social norms.

The Tobacco Free Partnership of Dixie County would like to applaud local employers for taking the time and effort to educate their employees about ways they can quit tobacco.  Studies reveal that this not only improves the health of the employee, but the health of their family members, as well as improves their financial bottom line by pocketing the money that used to go straight to the tobacco companies.  In addition, employees who smoke take more breaks during the day, and have more sick days for themselves and their children who may be effected by secondhand smoke through illnesses such as ear infections, bronchitis and asthma.

Congratulations to our local workplaces who have already taken the steps to protect their employee’s health, and the health of their patrons.  If you are a manager, or business owner and would like to learn more about the possibility of encouraging a tobacco-free workplace, please contact the Tobacco Free Partnership at 352-463-7006, or info@tfp-dixie.org