Celebrating National Public Health Week

All this week, we are marking the annual awareness initiative National Public Health Week. Day two turns the spotlight on something that's present in every town, city and state. This portion is living tobacco and drug free and preventing alcohol abuse.

Part 2 - Living Tobacco & Drug Free & Preventing Alcohol Abuse

Tobacco, drugs and alcohol kill hundreds of thousands Americans each year Death and disease from smoking, drug and alcohol use and prescription pain killer abuse is preventable though. Much like eating healthy and getting exercise, some simple steps that boil down to common sense often get ignored.

PREVIOUS: Part 1

SMOKES ARE BAD BUT WE STILL LIGHT UP

It's a horrible habit. A disgusting addiction. Yet many still light up, pop pills or drink to excess. We all know each is bad for us. Cigarette smoking causes 443,000 deaths and costs about $97-billion-dollars in productivity each year and $96-billion-dollars in medical costs. The most scary part of tobacco use comes from when people start.

Statistics show 80 percent of adult cigarette smokers begin before age 18! Every day, nearly 4,000 kids or teens try their first puff and about a thousand will be hooked. It's a hard habit to break and can last a lifetime. It can also shorten that life considerably and cause diseases such as lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease and others. Children who are witness to their parents smoking often pick up the habit too.

Leslie Terjesen at the Ocean County Health Department says "smoking is really addictive and the kids and teens don't know what they're getting into. We've seen it all too often. Schools are constantly reinforcing the message that smoking and tobacco is bad. We have programs here at the health department to help teens and adults alike, kick it for good. The message of never starting it begins with the parents and in the classroom including graphic photos of smoke filled lungs. We even have a jar of tar to show the students what will happen to their lungs if they do."

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE ON THE RISE

Prescription drug abuse has been on the rise in the Garden State during the last few years. Police departments have pill drop off programs for old and expired medications so they don't fall into the wrong hands and get abused. Terjesen says "they've seen it where kids raid the medicine chest and end up in the hospital for an overdose on a pain killer or something they took. Parents and grandparents need to lock up the medicine cabinets or put these pills in a safe and secure place."

In addition, teens need to know the dangers of drinking and driving. Also, the legal age you can consume alcohol is 21 and parents need to enforce that, even inside the home. Terjesen says "we've heard about parents letting their underage kids drink. This shouldn't happen. It can lead to problems. We have programs at the department for alcohol abuse too."

If you need further help to quit smoking, talk to your doctor or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

Reach the Ocean County Health Department's web site at ochd.org.

You can also call the department and speak to a live person rather than recordings. That number is 732-341-9700.