Local entities unite in Smokeout effort
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Aroostook County Action Program/Healthy Aroostook will participate in the Great American Smokeout on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015 teaming up with the University of Maine at Presque Isle and The Aroostook Medical Center to encourage smokers to quit for one day.
Festivities will be held at UMPI’s Gentile Hall from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. to encourage smokers to quit for one day. Healthy Aroostook is providing turkey soup as a way to promote “Cold Turkey!” quit day.
Each year, the Smokeout draws attention to the deaths and chronic diseases caused by smoking.
“As part of the Great American Smokeout festivities, the annual UMPI and NMCC Food Fight to Stomp Out Hunger Campaign will include the display of food sculptures created from cans of food donated to the campaign,” explained Jo-Ellen Kelley, ACAP community education specialist. “A competition between UMPI organizations versus ACAP/Healthy Aroostook and TAMC to see who can develop the best food sculpture will be a lot of fun and raise awareness for both the Great American Smokeout and Stomp Out Hunger Campaign.
Kelley added, “We invite the public to stop by to enjoy free turkey soup, vote on their favorite food sculpture and donate a nonperishable food item.”
Healthy Aroostook, an ACAP program, is a Healthy Maine Partnership (HMP), which was established by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “HMPs were established as local intervention sites to decrease tobacco use and tobacco-related chronic diseases in Maine and improve the health of its residents,” said Kelley.
Aroostook County has two local HMPs, Healthy Aroostook and Power of Prevention.
