Smoking Cessation Help

Quitting smoking can add up to measurable savings - $2,500 a year for those who smoke one-pack a day as well as the money saved on healthcare costs.

McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) and Centegra Health System are partnering to offer a once-a-week quit smoking class for adults. The classes will teach practical ways to end nicotine addiction through group support and behavior modification. 

It will also review nicotine replacement products that are currently on the market. Instruction is provided by MCDH staff that are trained in the American Lung Association’s “Freedom from Smoking” program.

Classes will be held at Centegra Health Bridge Fitness Center in Crystal Lake, located at 200 Congress Parkway, Wednesdays, from 6pm-7:30pm. A $25 course fee, payable at the first class, is refundable if all seven sessions are attended. Class members will also receive a free 3-day pass to the Health Bridge Fitness Center.

For more information, and to register, call 1-877-CENTEGRA, or visit www.mcdh.info.  To speak with a counselor immediately, call the Illinois Tobacco Quitline at 1-866-QUIT-YES. 

"Smoking In Your Car Is Hazardous To Your Friends And Family"

McHenry County College student Jim Anderson’s winning media design can be seen at local gas stations, drive-in and restrooms.  Chosen as one of the winners of the McHenry County Department of Health’s (MCDH) annual Billboard Design Contest, Jim’s design was entitled “Smoking in your car is hazardous to your friends and family”, depicting the damaging effects of second-hand smoke.  Other contest winners were seniors Megan Teresi, Woodstock High School, and Nate Prosser, Johnsburg High School.

The contest sought to highlight local talent while educating the community of the health effects of smoking.  Open to all McHenry County teens, designs were received under the following categories – tobacco prevention, secondhand smoke, and quit smoking.  Entries were judged on originality, peer appeal, and simple, colorful design.  Making the final selection were teens from Reality Illinois Anti-Tobacco Advocacy groups, members of the McHenry County “Tobacco Free” Coalition and MCDH’s Health Promotion staff. 

This project is made possible by funds received from the Illinois Department of Public Health.  Visit www.mcdh.info for information on smoking cessation classes or call 815-334-4510.

Smoking Cessation Classes Offered Beginning June 7

McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) is offering a 7-week adult smoking cessation class beginning on Monday, June 7, from 6pm-7:30pm at its Crystal Lake office (100 N Virginia Street, one block south of Route 14 and 176). The $25 enrollment fee is refundable if all sessions are attended. To register, call MCDH at 815-334-4525.

Classes give participants the assistance and tools needed to stop smoking in a supportive group setting. The curriculum will focus on available aids to quit smoking as well as how to make positive behavior changes, plan for urges, and deal with withdrawal symptoms so they will remain smoke free. Stress, exercise, and weight management techniques are also covered. For more information, visit www.mcdh.info.

National "Kick Butts Day" Celebrated By High School Students

In collaboration with the McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) and Reality Illinois Teens Against Tobacco, students from six area high schools – Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South, Johnsburg, Marian Central, Woodstock and Woodstock North – celebrated National Kick Butts Day on March 24. This year, each high school chose a different theme to represent the damaging effects of smoking such as:

Students, faculty and staff were encouraged to turn in their cigarettes and sign smoking pledges as a first step toward healthy living. Each year, teachers, youth leaders, and advocates participate in "Kick Butts Day" activities as a national day of activism to empower youth to stand out, speak up and take action against Big Tobacco at more than 2,000 events from coast to coast.

1200 red cups for the tobacco-related deaths that occur each day; Breathing through a straw to simulate shortness of breath many smokers experience; A display of household poisons that are found in cigarettes (arsenic, ammonia, formaldehyde); A model of a healthy lung versus a smoker’s lung after 20 years of smoking

Worldwide, tobacco use kills one person every 6.4 seconds. MCDH and the American Lung Association urge you to join the 45.7 million Americans who have quit (1-866-QUIT-YES). Reality Illinois is a project funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Visit www.mcdh.info for information on smoking cessation classes or call 815-334-4510.