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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

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Okaloosa County Tobacco Free Partnership

Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County

Tobacco Cessation Classes

The Okaloosa County Tobacco Free Partnership is a collaborative effort to reduce the harmful and dangerous effects that tobacco has on the public.

Every year, we learn more about how devastating tobacco can be to the human body and how damaging secondhand smoke is to those around it.  In fact, 28,600 adults in Florida die from smoking (443,000 deaths a year nationwide) every year. For every person who dies, another 20 suffer from one or more serious illnesses from smoking.

Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer death in the United States.  Lung cancer is not the only type of cancer that can be caused by smoking. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2013, about 174,100 cancer deaths will be caused by tobacco use.  Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body including cancers of the lung, mouth, nose, throat, larynx (voice box), trachea (wind pipe), esophagus, kidney, ureteral, bladder, cervical, bone marrow and blood.

Smokeless tobacco products have taken a backseat to smoking for decades, but are recently gaining ground in overall usage and use among young people. Smokeless tobacco includes chew, spit, dip, snuff, snus and a host of new dissolvable products. They are simply not a safe alternative to smoking and they can be as addictive as, or more addictive, than cigarettes. Smokeless tobacco causes many significant health problems, including several types of cancer. Smokeless users have an 80 percent higher risk of oral cancer and a 60 percent higher risk of pancreatic and esophageal cancer. Smokeless tobacco products can also increase the risk of a fatal heart attack and stroke.

In addition, there is no scientific evidence that using smokeless tobacco products can help a person quit smoking. Using smokeless tobacco can lead to nicotine addiction and dependence.

How to Quit

Tobacco Free Florida knows quitting can be very hard, but it’s not impossible. In fact, there are more former smokers than current smokers in Florida. With the right help, resources, and the support to keep you going, Tobacco Free Florida can give you the best chance to quit for good.

For each person, overcoming nicotine addiction is different and we can help you choose a path to quitting that works for you. In fact, Tobacco Free Florida's quit services can double your chances of quitting any form of tobacco for good.

Tobacco Free Florida offers Quit Your Way.  For more information on these free and convenient resources, visit Tobacco Free Florida.