ENJOY THE TOBACCO-FREE LIFE

NOvEmBER 2010

a publication of the Peninsula Daily News

a breath of fresh air

brought to you by the clallam county tobacco prevention & control program

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Our school campuses and buildings are smoke-free! Thank you for your support of our staff and students’

health and learning! It’s a breath of fresh air!

The Board of Directors recognizes that to protect students from exposure to the addictive substance of nicotine, employees and officers of the school

district, and all member of the community, have an obligation as role models to refrain from tobacco use on school property at all times. 0B

5101933

320 Ocean Drive, PO Box 67 La Push, WA 98350

Toll Free: 1-800-487-1267 • www. quileuteoceanside.com

2 A Breath of Fresh Air 2010 Peninsula Daily NewsPeninsula Daily News

The Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program conducts a comprehensive and innova-tive campaign to prevent youth from beginning tobacco use.

Surveys of adult smokers in Wash-ington show that about half of them had first tried cigarettes by age 14 and 70 percent of them were smoking regu-larly before they left high school.

Forty-five children in Washington start smoking every day.

A 2008 survey conducted in public schools found that 20 percent of 12th graders were tobacco users. Before to-bacco prevention efforts began in 2000, the percentage of 12th graders who smoked was as high as 35 percent.

Since then, youth smoking rates have dropped 50 percent — about 65,000 fewer Washington kids smoking.

In 2010, Clallam County had a 94.5 percent success rate for compliance checks, with only three of 54 retailers selling tobacco to youth during checks.

During the checks, youth who are 15 or 16 years old attempt to buy tobacco.

More people are trying to quit smok-ing, and the Great American Smokeout on Nov. 18 is a perfect time to quit.

For information and help on how to quit smoking and tobacco use,

phone the Washington State Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (in Spanish at 1-800-NO-FUME) or visit www.quitline.com.

You don’t have to do it alone.

Hi, my name is Jordan and I am a recovering addict.

I started by calling a 1-800 quit smoking call line. This smoking line sent me a month’s worth of patches.

I have been smoking on and off from the age of 12. I am now 23 and have successfully quit smoking for 62 days and gotten off the patches.

It sure wasn’t easy. I quit heroin with ease compared to nicotine.

The want to smoke was there with ev-ery breath I took, whereas heroin was only every feeling I felt. Nicotine is the hard-est drug I have ever put into my body.

I smoked and chewed at the same time, and that made quitting both very hard. I ate a lot of jerky and stored it in my lip and sucked on a straw or some form of candy that comes in a tube form.

That with my patches made it possible to quit and still function in my day to day life.

My StoryJordan, The Answer for Youth (TAFY)

p Rebecca Ramsey is pictured at the Tobacco Awareness Display table the Port Angeles High School Business/Marketing/DECA students set up at the school.

Preventing tobacco use in youth

the strong people

Join us on Blyn campus 11/19 from 10-4pm as we participate in the

Great American Smoke-out! Dana Ward, Community Health Nurse

Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe

360 - 681-4634

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11/18

11-1

Lynda G. Williamson, OTR/L, CHT, CEAS

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“We give you the freedom to do what you want.”

Tel. 360-417-0703Fax. 360-417-2007

email: soht@olpen. com708 S. Race St., Ste.C, Port Angeles

Peninsula Daily NewsPeninsula Daily News A Breath of Fresh Air 2010 3

Health benefits of quitting smoking after...

u 20 minutes ... Blood pressure drops.

u 8 hours ... Carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal.

u 24 hours ... Chance of heart attack decreases.

u 2 weeks – 3 months ... Circulation improves. Lung func-tion increases up to 30 percent.

u 1 year ... Chance of heart attack is cut in half.

u 5 years ... Stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker.

u 10 years ... Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.

u 15 years ... Risk of coronary heart disease and risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked.

A Breath of Fresh Air 2010published by the Peninsula Daily NewsMain office: 305 W. First St., Port Angeles, WA360-452-2345 • www.peninsuladailynews.com

John C. Brewer editor and publisher

Suzanne Delaney advertising director

Trisha McMahon special sections editor

I started smoking when I was about 14 years old. I remember the first cigarette I smoked was a Pall Mall non-filter, that’s what my mother smoked at the time.

I got my first carton of smokes when I was 15. I smoked pretty steadily from age 15 to about 30 years old, when I quit drinking alcohol.

It was time to start thinking about stopping smoking as well.

Between the ages of 30 and 50 I had tried seven times to quit, but always went back to smoking. I have tried hypnotherapy, Zyban, cold turkey, gum, Chantix, and now acupuncture.

Today I have six months without a cigarette, for the eighth time.

I am putting together a quitting smoking group curriculum, and plan on starting a smoking cessation group at 4 Directions Counseling and Consulting in Sequim.

For information, contact Four Directions at 360-681-2467.

Quitting tobacco is difficult, and a person will need the help and support of friends and family to get through the process. The American Cancer Society pro-vides some tips for helping a smoker quit:

Ask the person whether he or she •wants you to ask regularly how he or she is doing.Help the quitter get what she or he •needs, such as hard candy to suck on, or straws to chew on.Spend time doing things with the •quitter to keep his or her mind off smoking.Try to see it from the smoker’s point •of view —a smoker’s habit may feel like an old friend and hard to give up.

Don’t judge, nag, preach, tease, or •scold. You don’t want him or her one to turn to a cigarette to soothe hurt feelings.Don’t take the quitter’s grumpiness •personally during his or her nicotine withdrawal. The symptoms usually pass in about two weeks.If your ex-smoker “slips,” don’t •assume that he or she will start smoking like before. A “slip” is pretty common when a person is quitting. Help the quitter remember all the reasons he or she wanted to quit.

— For more tips or infomation on quitting, visit www.cancer.org.

Olympic Medical Center is celebrating its second year as a smoke-free campus.

In November 2008, OMC, which provides health care for more than 70,000 residents of Clallam County, implemented a facilities and grounds wide program banning smoking inside or outside the OMC facilities and on its properties.

The net effects were immediately ap-parent as some employees quit smoking to coincide with the new workplace policy, and positive comments started coming in from physicians, patients and the general public.

In the past two years, OMC has con-tinued to find ways to remind staff and visitors that no smoking is permitted on OMC grounds.

From hospital security to personnel departments, the OMC staff has worked diligently to be a model to the commu-nity to show how creating a smoke-free work environment can be successfully

achieved to preserve and promote the long-term health interest of employees, staff and clients.

OMC: Smoke-free for two years

Helping a smoker quit

My StoryPatrick Adams, 4 Directions Counseling & Consulting

Did you KNOW?

u The average cost of a pack of cigarettes is $7. For a pack a day habit, this trans-lates to $49 a week and $196 a month.

u Spit tobacco con-tains more nicotine than cigarettes and is just as addictive.

p The sign outside the main entrance to Olympic Medical Center reminds people that the facility is a smoke-free campus.

4 A Breath of Fresh Air 2010 Peninsula Daily NewsPeninsula Daily News A Breath of Fresh Air 2010 5

Need help quitting tobacco?Whether you are thinking of quitting, trying to quit, or want to help a friend, one of the resources listed below

may be able to help. You can also check with your healthcare provider about nicotine replacement and other

pharmaceutical drugs to help with quitting.

Port AngelesCedar Grove Counseling360-452-2443

Clallam County Health & Human ServicesContact: Jill Dole360-565-2608

Klallam Counseling Services360-452-4432

Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe360-452-8471

Trillium Treatment Center360-457-9200

West End Outreach ServicesOak Street Center360-417-9456

ForksForks Community HospitalContact: Patsy Brown360-374-6271 x117

West End Outreach Services360-374-6177

Sequim4 Directions Counseling and ConsultingContact: Patrick Adams360-681-2467patadamsmsw@olypen.com

Jamestown S’Klallam TribeContact: Lowell Jons360-681-4634

Olympic Personal Growth Center360-681-8463

La PushQuileute Tribe360-374-6143

Neah BayMakah TribeContact: Tracey Tejano360-645-3297makahprevention@centurytel.com

Additional ResourcesContact any of these resources for free help and information.

Washington State Tobacco Quit Line1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)1-877-2 NO FUME (Spanish)www.quitline.com

American Cancer Society1-800-ACS-2345www.cancer.org

American Lung AssociationFreedom From Smoking Group or Online Smoking Cessation Programs1-800-LUNG USAwww.ffsonline.org

SmokeFreeWashington.comTo register a complaint regarding violations of the Smoking in Public Places Law (RCW 70.160), click on “Laws and Policies” and then “Register a Complaint.” Choose Clallam County from the list. An anonymous complaint may be made online, or by calling 360-565-2608.

Washington State Department of Health/Tobacco Prevention & Control Program www.doh.wa.gov/tobacco

Youth Empowermentwww.nostankyou.com

Quit for two: Smoking and pregnancy

Smoking when you’re pregnant and after your baby is born is harmful to both you and your child.

About 130 infants are born each year in Clallam County to mothers who smoke dur-ing pregnancy.

The Tobacco Quit Line has tools and materials designed specifically to help pregnant women increase their chances of quitting and remaining tobacco-free after the baby is born.

Quit coaches have additional training to better understand the challenges pregnant women face when trying to quit smoking. They help callers develop a quit plan and a strategy to avoid secondhand smoke before and after the baby is born.

Call the Washington State Tobacco Quit Line toll-free at 1-800-QUIT-NOW to speak with a trained quit coach about how you can double your chances of quitting.

Secondhand smoke harms your pets

Secondhand smoke — the smoke that is exhaled by the smoker or comes from the burning end of a cigarette — can be just as harmful to your pets as it is to you and other people.

When a person smokes, animals breathe in the secondhand smoke just like people do. Opening a win-dow — whether in a car or in a house — is not enough.

Cats, dogs, birds, hamsters, mice — all have an in-creased risk of cancer and other health problems if they breathe tobacco smoke.

Chemicals from secondhand smoke can also settle on furs and feathers. The nicotine in tobacco products is toxic to animals. If your pet eats cigarettes or butts, cigars, smokeless tobacco, nicotine gum or patches, its life could be in danger.

Tobacco PrevenTion ParTnersTobacco Prevention Partners

I started smoking at age 18 because, back then, it was considered “glamorous” and “sophisticated” and what 18-year-old doesn’t want to be that?

It wasn’t that much later that studies were concluding that this was a major hazard to our health.

But, by then, we were addicted. I developed asthma and I told myself it

was because of all my allergies. The worst lie you can tell is the one you tell yourself. So even when the specialist diagnosed me with COPD,

I still would only say, “I have asthma.”

Our health is the most important thing we have. Take charge of it!

You don’t have to become a “health nut” to improve your health. Just a few better choices can make a big difference.

The Clallam County Board of Commissioners has been advo-cating for a “Breath of Fresh Air” for all Clallam County residents for many years.

In 2004, citing the significant health risks associated with tobacco smoke, the commis-sioners adopted Clallam County Code 19.05, prohibiting smok-ing on county properties except in designated areas.

In 2005 and again in 2010 proclamations were signed rec-

ognizing the importance of the Great American Smokeout in Clallam County (see cover).

The board is hopeful that its support has contributed to the reduction of smoking in Clallam County and has helped to drasti-cally lower the incidence of sell-ing tobacco products to minors.

The Clallam County Board of Commissioners is proud to support the Great American Smokeout and A Breath of Fresh Air publication.

You should not rely on these resources to replace consultation with a healthcare provider and

qualified professionals regarding your own situation.

Growing up in the forties and fifties most homes, mine included, reeked of stale tobacco. The walls and drapes were a dingy yellow.

As a child, I would often cringe when my parents came near due to the tobacco smell on their clothes, hair, fingers and breath. As a result, cigarettes established an emotional distance between us.

My father often coughed up stomach-churning phlegm which he would often expectorate out the driver’s window which he once forgot to roll down.

After suffering numerous heart attacks, mom finally succumbed to cardio-pulmonary edema drowning in her own fluids.

Dad soon succumbed to the same agonizing death. They were together forty-nine years, eleven months.

Close, but no Golden Anniversary.

The Clallam County Commu-nity Mobilization Against Substance Abuse and Violence (CMASA) program uses a combination of federal and state funding to prevent substance abuse and violence.

The local CMASA effort began in 1989 and works with numerous individuals, groups and organizations to maximize effective prevention efforts throughout our county.

Funds are used to support proven programs and efforts in our county to create a safe and healthy community for children and families. A collaborative community needs an assessment process involving citizens and groups across the county to help determine the strategy for the program.

The program is located in the Clallam County Sheriff’s Department and receives assistance from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

Jim Borte serves as the local coordinator for the program and can be reached at 360-417 2385.

Rep. Kevin Van De Wege is proud to support the Great American Smokeout.

Since Wash-ington State implemented the Tobacco Preven-tion & Control Program in 1999 tobacco awareness has increased and tobacco use has de-clined significantly.

Washington State is a healthier place to live thanks to public smoke-free policies. To continue to see progress, people must continue to invest in tobacco prevention and cessation strategies. Van De Wege supports legislative funding for statewide tobacco prevention and control programs.

Preven-tion Works! Community Coalition of Clallam County is proud to support the Great American Smokeout and the Tobacco Prevention & Control Program in Clallam County.

Since the Tobacco Program began in 2000, youth smoking in Washington has declined by 50 percent.

Prevention Works! began in 1998 with a group of six individuals and a clear vision: “To prevent child abuse and neglect, substance abuse and violence in Clallam County.”

Its mission is to advocate, educate and invest in all chil-dren in the communities.

Today the coalition has grown to more than 250 mem-bers from diverse sectors of the county.

It has been successful in blending prevention funding and concentrating efforts, bring-ing in more than $1,000,000 in new prevention funding to the community.

In 2010, Prevention Works! developed a five-year Strategic Prevention Plan to raise aware-ness of issues and to allow more community buy-in towards problem solving. Joining in the process were representatives from law enforcement, county schools, elected officials, mental health providers, treatment providers, nonprofit agencies, governmental agencies, court commissioners and ordinary citizens like you.

To find out more about Prevention Works! Coalition of Clallam County, call 360-417-2384 or click on www.preventionworkscc.org.

The Clallam County Tobacco Prevention & Control Program says “THANK YOU!” to all our community sponsors who made this third edition of A Breath of Fresh Air tobacco educa-tion section a success.

The Tobacco Program has been working diligently for ten years to help people quit smoking, to prevent youth from becoming tobacco users and to provide a public smoke-free environment for all.

In June 2011, the major source of funding for the tobacco pro-gram from the Washington State Department of Health will run out. Still we will continue to advocate for tobacco awareness and cessa-tion programs that improve the quality of life for the community.

Tobacco Programs currently include: Denying youth access to tobacco products through •retailer education and compliance checks. In 2010, only three of 54 stores sold tobacco to youth during checks. This is a 94.5 percent success rate.Education in schools and the wider community about the •dangers and costs of tobacco useAdvocating for continued tobacco prevention funding at •the local, state, and federal level Enforcing local and state tobacco-free policies•Promoting the Washington State Quit Line at •1-800-QUIT-NOW (en Espanol at 1-877-2-NO-FUME), or online at www.quitline.com.

For more information about the Clallam County Tobacco Pre-vention & Control Program, please contact Prevention Specialist Jill Dole at 360-565-2608, or jdole@co.clallam.wa.us.

My StoryCelia Bentzinger,

Sequim

Clallam County Tobacco Prevention & Control Program

Clallam County Community Mobilization Against Substance Abuse and Violence

Prevention Works! Community Coalition of Clallam County

Clallam County Board of Commissioners

State Rep. Kevin Van De Wege

My StoryRoger Huntman, Port Angeles

p Rep. Kevin Van De Wege and his son Jack

u From left, Clallam County Commissioners Mike Chapman, Steve Tharinger, Mike Doherty

6 A Breath of Fresh Air 2010 Peninsula Daily NewsPeninsula Daily News

Pulmonary support group offers help to those afflicted with COPD

Is it hard for you to take a breath of fresh air?

COPD — chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — is character-ized by chronic bronchitis, including a long-term cough, and emphysema, destruction of the lungs over time.

Although there is no cure for COPD, the best way to slow down lung damage is to quit smoking, stay away from secondhand smoke and to exercise.

Other causes of COPD are indoor and outdoor air pollution and ex-posure to dust and chemicals along with genetic issues.

The Pulmonary Support Group originated almost six years ago when three women — Aloma Blaylock, Sandra Howard and Juanita McTarsney — got together to offer support to each other.

Since then, the group has grown beyond expectations and even spawned a woman’s group. The main group is open to everyone including patients, caregivers and families, and the ladies wouldn’t kick out a male that wanted to attend their group.

Both groups offer a place for information, networking, educational opportunities and most of all, fun!

The main group frequently has guest speakers for educational pur-poses, but just being with people who understand you is comforting.

During the monthly Tuesday luncheon of the women’s group, the

ladies have a chance to share stories and help motivate each other.

Members look forward to com-ing together to share a meal, make friends, and help each other through the difficulties of lung disease.

Most members of the women’s group are patients of Dr. Rebecca Corley, a doctor specializing in pulmonary medicine at the Olympic Medical Center in Sequim.

Under Corley’s care, the women are realizing there is a light at the end of the tunnel and, while they will never be “well” again, they learn to live with and slow down the progres-sion of the disease.

Celia Bentzinger reminds everyone to “eat healthy, exercise, drink water, get enough sleep, and remain positive.

“It’s about being the best you can

be, appreciating life and finding joy and hope,” adds Sandra Howard.

If our lungs had one message to pass on, it would be: “Don’t smoke, stay away from smoke, stay away from pollution or wear the proper masking.”

World COPD Day is an annual event to improve awareness and care of COPD around the world.

The 2010 event took place on Nov. 17 — appropriately timed with the Great American Smokeout on Nov. 18.

The Pulmonary Support Group main meeting is on the fourth Satur-day of the month at 11:30 a.m. at The Mariner Restaurant in Sequim. Men and women are invited to attend.

For more information about either the main group or the women’s group, contact Mary Margolis at 360-452-1473 or e-mail her at tigger@tfon.com.

Many people occasionally have trouble catching their breath, but when every breath is a struggle, it’s time to get help.

Dr. Mark Fischer, an internist who sees many COPD patients at the Klahhane Clinic in Port Angeles, says it’s important for anyone experiencing unusual breathing prob-lems that last more than a few days to contact a doctor.

While there can be many causes of shortness of breath, an X-ray and simple breathing test can help pinpoint the problem, he says.

Spirometry, in which the patient’s lung capacity is measured by breathing into a tube, is a very good screen for early COPD, Fischer says.

Once a diagnosis of COPD is made, Fischer says both doctor and patient should work together to create a management plan.

“There is quite a lot that can be done that is not too invasive or high-tech, in the holistic realm,” Fischer says.

He also encourages patients and their loved ones to become involved in their management plan.

COPD is very prevalent on the North Olympic Penin-sula, Fischer says, due in part to the greater population of people older than 65 years.

“It’s among the top five chronic diseases on the Penin-sula, by virtue of demographics and because we are on the coattails of several generations of heavy smokers,” he says.

Getting checked for COPD is simple

My name is Susan and I haven’t had a cigarette for 19 years.

Why did I quit? The cost, the smell, and the time.

But the real reason is that my oldest son had asthma and had a very hard time just breathing.

The three youngest children were imitating me and picking up cigarettes and trying to smoke.

The catalyst was when I cleaned windows in our new house we had built and the windows were all covered in nicotine.

Something came together at that point and I decided I needed to quit.

While still in my 30s (and smoking — waking up in the mornings coughing) I thought I was out of “condition” because I would get out of breath so easily.

[I was diagnosed with asthma in my 50s, but later found out I didn’t have asthma, I had severe emphysema.]

I was enrolled in pulmonary rehab, one of the best things that can happen to people with breathing trouble.

[I eventually got pneumonia and went on supplemental oxygen.]

I remember the first time I tried on the canula (the “nose hose”). I was accustomed to walking away from my cart to look at something but now I was on a 7-foot leash.

I met several other “lungers” from the Internet in person. That was a real comfort to be with people who understood where I was.

[I was listed for a lung transplant in 2006 and on May 4, 2008, I was on the Kingston ferry for a transplant.]

My new-to-me left lung had come from Alaska, a 19-year-old boy injured in a car accident by a drunk driver. He was on life support for six days before his mother let him go and generously gave his surviving lung to me.

I still get pretty teary eyed when I think of her courage and what a huge difference that gift has made in my life. Since then, his family and I have been in contact and refer to the lung as “ours.”

My StorySandra Howard, Port Angeles

p The women’s Pulmonary Support Group during a lunch meeting at Tarcisio’s in Sequim

My StorySusan Hillgren, The Answer for Youth

(TAFY)

Sponsored by the United

Way of Clallam County,

United Way of Kitsap County,

and United Good Neighbors

of Jefferson County. If 2-1-1

does not work, please call

1-866-736-9634

Get Connected. Get Answers.For Community Information and Referrals, please call 2-1-1 for help specific to your needs.

¿Necesita ayuda pero no sabe a donde ir? Marquè el nùmero 2-1-1.

Employment Support

Medical Care Questions

Mental Health Services

Senior Assistance

Shelter Needs

Utility Bill Help

Volunteer Opportunities

In-kind Donations

Domestic Violence Help

Food Resources

To find services such as:

Get Help. Give Help.

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Iva Burks, Jude Anderson, Jennifer Charles and Jill Dole of Clallam County Health & Human Services at Project Homeless Connect in January 2010.

Peninsula Daily NewsPeninsula Daily News A Breath of Fresh Air 2010 7

The next recovery challenge

The new frontier for tobacco prevention is integrating nicotine treatment within chemical dependency treatment agencies.

Many treatment providers in Clallam County are taking up the challenge to ad-dress tobacco dependence in their pro-grams for compelling reasons: tobacco is a drug of dependence, tobacco use exacts a devastating toll on people with sub-stance abuse and mental health disorders, tobacco dependence is closely related to other chemical dependencies, and it is safe to treat tobacco dependence at the same time as other substances and may improve treatment outcomes.

FDA, public health experts warn against electronic cigarettes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and public health experts warn against us-ing electronic cigarettes, which a laboratory analysis found contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze.

Electronic cigarettes, also called “e-cigarettes,” are battery-operated devices that generally contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavor and other chemicals.

The electronic cigarette turns nico-tine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled.

These products have not been submitted to the FDA for evaluation or approval and do not contain any health warnings com-parable to FDA-approved nicotine replace-ment products or conventional cigarettes.

The agency has no way of knowing, ex-cept for the limited testing it has performed, the levels of nicotine or the amounts of other chemicals these products deliver.

Public health experts also expressed con-cern that e-cigarettes could increase nicotine addiction and tobacco use in young people.

E-cigarettes are NOT a nicotine cessa-tion product.

Did you KNOW? u According to the National Coali-

tion for the Homeless, smoking prevalence among homeless persons is 75 to 80 percent.

u Studies show that 75 percent of homeless smokers indicate they plan to quit within six months, but few are able to find the resources to do so.

u Low-income smokers use tobacco in more hazardous ways. Using hand-rolled cigarettes without filters or recycled tobacco from butts increases the risk of throat and mouth cancer.

u Smokers have a harder time finding homes to rent than non-smokers. Low-income housing and Housing Authority apart-ments, including the Housing Authority of Clallam County, are increasingly becoming smoke-free.

The second annual Project Homeless Connect will be held March 17, 2011. The event offers on-site services for people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless in Clallam County. People can get information and counseling on tobacco cessation at the event.For information or to volunteer, call 360-565-2608.

Homelessness and the prevalence of smoking

Did you KNOW?

u Smoking makes you more susceptible to hearing loss from noise exposure.

u Smoking reduces blood flow to the organ of hearing.

u Children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

For information or to volunteer,

Cigarettes will ruin that for you.Your sense of taste is severely diminished by smoking, butthat’s just the beginning. Smoking damages your heart andlungs, decreases your circulation, raises your blood pressureand puts everyone around you at risk. It is the nation’sNumber One cause of preventable death.

Olympic Medical Center is proud to celebrate its two yearanniversary of being a smoke free campus for the health ofour patients, employees and visitors.

We’re smoke free. Are you?

Do you appreciate life’s simple joys...like tasting the salt in an ocean breeze?

OMC is proud to celebrate two years of being a smoke free campus! 0B5101929

CRISIS LINE: Call 452-4500, 24-hours a day, to “just talk” through problems and get suggestions on how to cope with situations or to find out about community resources.

Peninsula Community Mental Health Center has a variety of services available for individuals, families, and children. We are located at 118 E. 8th St. in Port Angeles and at 490 N. 5th Ave. in Sequim.

Here at PCMHC, we offer group and individual counseling for individuals who would like to discontinue using tobacco products. Information and resources are provided to assist individuals obtain medications and nicotine replacement products and support is given to those who are in the process of being tobacco-free. Think about it; not only are you saving your health, you’ll also be saving money –

PCMHC offers a wide array of services and programs:

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You’ve heard it all before, and yet you still can’t stop. Here at PCMHC,

we offer individual counseling for people who would like to discontinue using

tobacco products. Information and resources are provided to assist individuals

obtain medications and nicotine replacement products and support is given to those

who are in the process of being tobacco-free. Think about it; not only are you saving

your health, you’ll also be saving money - and we’re here to help.

8 A Breath of Fresh Air 2010 Peninsula Daily News