MayoClinic.com Launches New Quit Smoking Center

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 438,000 American lives each year, including those affected indirectly, such as babies born prematurely due to prenatal maternal smoking and victims of secondhand exposure to tobacco's carcinogens. Beating nicotine dependence is one of the best things individuals can do for their health.

The new Quit Smoking Center on Mayo Clinic.com provides users with information on the health risks of smoking, smoking cessation advice, quit smoking strategies, and tips to help individuals cope with nicotine cravings.

According to the American Lung Association, for every person who dies of a smoking-related disease, 20 more people (approximately 8.6 million people in the United States) suffer from at least one serious illness related to smoking.

In the United States, smoking costs approximately $97.2 billion each year in health care costs and lost productivity. It also is responsible for 87 percent of lung cancer cases and causes most cases of emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

About MayoClinic.com

Launched in 1995 and now visited by millions of users a month, this award-winning consumer Web site offers health information, self-improvement and disease management tools to empower people to manage their health. Produced by a team of Web professionals and medical experts working side by side, MayoClinic.com gives users access to the experience and knowledge of the more than 2,000 physicians and scientists of Mayo Clinic. MayoClinic.com offers users intuitive, easy access tools such as "Symptom Checker" and "First-Aid Guide" for fast answers about health conditions ranging from common to complex; as well as more in-depth sections on over 25 common diseases and conditions, a wealth of healthy living articles, videos, animations and features such as "Ask a Specialist" and "Drug Watch." Users can sign up for a free weekly e-newsletter, "Housecall," which provides the latest health information from Mayo Clinic. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.com.

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