DOVER – You’d like to quit smoking. Maybe you’ve tried before. But it can feel hard. The American Cancer Society estimates it takes between eight to ten attempts for the average person to quit smoking. When trying to quit, support can make all the difference. That’s why the Cancer Society has set Thursday Nov. 16, 2017, as the date for the annual Great American Smoke Out. Each year, thousands of people across the county use the Great American Smoke Out as their date to quit.

If you or someone you care about smokes, the Division of Public Health (DPH) asks you to use Nov. 16, 2017 as your quit date, and use the days leading up to it to create a plan to do so. A good first step is to call the Delaware Quitline (1-866-409-1858) for advice. By quitting, smokers take an important step toward reducing their risk of heart disease, cancer and lung diseases. And, even quitting for one day can put smokers on the path to recovery.

In Delaware, rates of cigarette use continue to decline. Cigarette smoking by adults dropped again to an all-time low of 17.7 percent, according to the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (BRFS). But total tobacco use among Delaware adults in 2016 was 24.2 percent or approximately one in four Delawareans. Total tobacco use includes cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, smokeless tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and all other tobacco products.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. Eighty-five percent to 90 percent of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking, and lung cancer makes up one-third of all cancer deaths.

About 36.5 million Americans still smoke cigarettes, and tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the world. Nationally, while cigarette use also declined (from 42 percent in 1965 to 15 percent in 2015), cigar, pipe, and hookah – other dangerous and addictive ways to smoke tobacco – are very much on the rise.

“Smoking kills people – there is no “safe” way to consume tobacco,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker. “Delaware has been a leader in the effort to create healthy, smoke-free, indoor workplaces and public places for our citizens, yet there is still more we can do to reduce smoking and save lives.”

Secondhand smoke can aggravate the symptoms of chronic diseases such as asthma and COPD. DPH continues to remind smokers of the dangers of secondhand smoke, both to children and other adults, particularly pregnant women.

While smoking makes it harder for a woman to get pregnant, those who are pregnant and continue to smoke face:

• increased risk of miscarriage;
• potential problems with the placenta – the oxygen and food supply for the baby;
• increased risk of birth defects;
• increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS); and
• potentially preterm or low birthweight babies.

Delaware data from a recent Women of Childbearing Age Report shows that an estimated 1,400 women smoked during the last three months of pregnancy. Women who smoked during that time frame were approximately three times more likely to deliver a low birthweight baby as compared to those who did not smoke

“If you are pregnant and are smoking, talk to your doctor immediately about ways to safely quit,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “You can have fewer health problems, breathe better and have more energy. Your baby will have fewer problems too, such as wheezing, fewer coughs, colds and ear infections, and a reduced risk of SIDS.”

The Division of Public Health has a variety of resources to help you start and be successful in your journey to leading a tobacco-free life. The Delaware Quitline provides free tobacco cessation counseling services for Delaware Residents who are 18 years of age and older. When a person calls the toll-free Quitline (1-866-409-1858), they have the option to receive cessation counseling over the phone and, unique to Delaware, can opt to receive counseling in person by a local health care professional trained in cessation. Some participants may qualify for free pharmaceutical cessation aids such as patches, gum, nasal spray and prescription medicine such as Chantix. The Delaware Quitline also has special materials for pregnant smokers trying to quit.

For those who may need some assistance and don’t feel the Quitline is right for them, QuitSupport.com offers a free web-based option. This online cessation counseling service makes Quit Coaches available to provide tips on quitting tobacco. For individuals under the age of 18, NOT on Tobacco (NOT) is a cessation service available at most school wellness centers. Contact 1-800 LUNGUSA for more details on the NOT program.

Research shows that most people try to quit smoking several times before they succeed. (It’s called a relapse when smokers go back to smoking like they were before they tried to quit.) If a relapse happens, think of it as practice for the next time. Studies show that most people who don’t succeed in quitting are ready to try again in the near future. Things a person learns from a failed attempt to quit may help them quit for good next time. It takes time and skills to learn to be a non-smoker.

In 2014, Delaware banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and in 2015, Delaware’s Clean Indoor Air Act was expanded to include prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes and other electronic vapor devices in workplaces and indoor public places. Additionally, smoking is not permitted on State property.

For more information about tobacco cessation, visit DPH’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program at http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/dpc/tobacco.html.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

DOVER – You’d like to quit smoking. You’ve been meaning to quit but you just haven’t picked a date yet. How about Thursday November 17, 2016? That’s the date set by the American Cancer Society for its Great American Smoke Out!

The Division of Public Health (DPH) is encouraging you if you smoke, or you know someone who smokes, to use the date to create a quit smoking plan. By quitting, even for one day, smokers take an important step toward a healthier life and reducing their risk of cancer, diabetes, lung disease, and heart disease.

About 40 million Americans still smoke cigarettes, and tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the world. In Delaware, cigarette smoking adults was at an all-time low of 17.4 percent, according to the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (BRFS). And that means that nearly one in five Delawareans still smokes, risking their health and the health of those around them every day.

While cigarette smoking rates have dropped nationally since the 1960s, cigar, pipe, and hookah – other dangerous and addictive ways to smoke tobacco – are very much on the rise. Additionally, though smoking among teens is also at an all-time low, DPH is aware of the increasing use of electronic vaporizing devices (e-cigarettes) among that population. Delaware public high school students reporting “current use” of e-cigarettes through the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) jumped from 2.1 percent in 2012 to 23.5 percent in 2015, and approximately 40.5 percent of Delaware public high school students said they have tried e-cigarettes.

In 2014, Delaware banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and in 2015, Delaware’s Clean Indoor Air Act was expanded to include prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes and other electronic vapor devices in workplaces and indoor public places.

“Smoking kills people – there is no “safe” way to smoke tobacco,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Rita Landgraf. “I am proud to say Delaware has been a leader in the effort to create healthy, smoke-free, indoor workplaces and public places for our citizens, but we must continue the fight. Too many people still smoke and too many teens are experimenting with e-cigarettes. ”

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 85 percent to 90 percent of lung cancers are caused by tobacco use. DPH continues to remind smokers of the dangers of secondhand smoke, both to children and other adults. Secondhand smoke can also aggravate the symptoms of asthma and COPD.

“Lung cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Delaware and the nation. Quitting tobacco and other smoking products isn’t easy, but it’s worth it,” said DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “It’s a process that starts one day at a time, and the Division of Public Health has a variety of resources to help you start and be successful in your journey to leading a tobacco-free life.”

The Delaware Quitline provides free tobacco cessation counseling services for Delaware residents who are 18 years of age and older. When a person calls the toll-free Quitline number (1-866-409-1858), they have the option to receive cessation counseling over the phone and, unique to Delaware, can opt to receive counseling in person by a local health care professional trained in cessation. Some participants may qualify for free pharmaceutical cessation aids such as patches, gum, nasal spray and prescription medicines. Since its inception in 2001, there have been over 100,000 calls to the Quitline with over 50,000 enrolling in cessation services. Through November 2016, all participants enrolled in either phone or face-to-face counseling can receive free pharmaceutical cessation aids while supplies last.

For those who may need some assistance and don’t feel the Quitline is right for them, QuitSupport.com offers a free web-based option. This online cessation counseling service makes quit coaches available to provide tips on quitting tobacco. For individuals under the age of 18, Not- On-Tobacco (NOT) is a cessation service available at most school wellness centers. Contact 1-800 LUNGUSA for more details on the NOT program.

There are many benefits to quitting tobacco products, some which can be noticed right away:

• Food tastes better.
• Your sense of smell returns to normal.
• Your breath, hair, and clothes smell better.
• Your teeth and fingernails stop yellowing.
• Ordinary activities leave you less out of breath (for example, climbing stairs or light housework).
• You can be in smoke-free buildings without having to go outside to smoke.

Within minutes of smoking your last cigarette, your body begins to recover. Here are some short, and long-term health benefits:
• 20 minutes after quitting – Your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
• 12 hours after quitting – The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
• 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting – Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
• 1 to 9 months after quitting – Coughing and shortness of breath decrease. Tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs (called cilia) start to regain normal function in your lungs, increasing their ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
• 1 year after quitting – The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of someone who still smokes. Your heart attack risk drops dramatically.

Quitting also helps stop the damaging effects of tobacco on how you look, including premature wrinkling of your skin, gum disease, and tooth loss.

For more information about tobacco cessation, visit DPH’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

Wilmington Police and the Delaware Department of Justice have announced the arrest of Taushia Mitchell, 18, of Wilmington the person believed responsible for the July 23rd homicide of James Rogers, 29, of Wilmington, in a home in the 500 block of West 4th Street in Wilmington.

After an extensive investigation involving the Wilmington Police Department, the Delaware Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Taushia Mitchell was arrested in New York City. Mitchell is being held on charges relating to the theft of the homicide victim’s vehicle.

Further investigation by the Wilmington Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division led to the State of Delaware Department of Justice authorizing arrest warrants for Mitchell for charge of Murder in the First Degree late this afternoon. Mitchell is expected to face extradition next week from New York to Delaware.

Odessa, DE – On April 15, 2015, the Division of Alcohol & Tobacco Enforcement (DATE) was contacted by the Delaware State Police after a trooper stopped a vehicle travelling north on SR 1 south of Odessa and a large amount of cigarettes were found in the vehicle. 

Mugahid Tahir Al Ghazali, 25, of New York, NY was travelling north on SR 1 in a rental vehicle and was stopped by a trooper for speeding.  Further investigation revealed the driver was in possession of 394 cartons of untaxed cigarettes of various brands. 
 
A DATE agent responded to the scene and verified that the 394 cartons were obtained in Virginia and were being transported to an unknown destination. Al Ghazali was charged by DATE with Possession of Untaxed Cigarettes and Attempting to Evade Delaware Excise Tax. The rental car was confiscated and returned to the rental company. He was later released after posting a $5,500 cash only bail.

Media Contact:
John Yeomans, Director
john.yeomans@delaware.gov
(302) 741-2719

The Division of Alcohol & Tobacco Enforcement was contacted by the Delaware State Police at 5:45am in reference to a subject they had stopped for speeding on I-95 who in possession of a large amount of cigarettes. The defendant, Elebechir Lehreitani, of Alexandria, Virginia was travelling north on I-95 in a 2014 Chevrolet Impala when he was stopped for speeding. During the course of the stop the trooper conducted a consent search of the vehicle and located 402 cartons of untaxed cigarettes concealed in the trunk. The Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement was then notified of the incident.

A DATE agent responded to Troop 6 and determined that the 402 cartons were obtained in North Carolina and were being transported to an unknown destination. The cigarettes and $269.00 in cash were seized from Lehreitani. He was charged by DATE with Possession of Untaxed Cigarettes and Attempting to Evade Delaware Excise Tax. Delaware State Police issued Lehreitani a citation for speeding. He was later released on a $6,100.00 unsecured bail.