St. Joseph's Hospital in Buckhannon will support the Great American Smokeout Thursday, an event nationally recognized as a platform to educate the public on the dangers associated with tobacco use.

To assist individuals in quitting smoking, the hospital will be offering a free smoking cessation program for four consecutive Tuesdays, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the second-floor conference room of the Physician Office Center. The program is free and open to the public; space may be reserved by calling Sheila Spears, RN, BSN, at 304-473-2097.

In addition, the hospital is recommitting to its dedication of having an entirely tobacco-free campus. On a tobacco-free campus, no tobacco use of any kind is permitted inside or outside any of the facilities. This includes use of tobacco products in parking areas, picnic areas and inside personal vehicles located on property owned by the hospital. St. Joseph's Hospital is proud to join the ranks of other health care institutions across the state who are tobacco-free including West Virginia University's Ruby Memorial Hospital, Davis Health System's, Sharp Hospital, Wheeling Hospital, CAMC Health Systems and dozens of other health facilities. Patients and visitors who experience difficulty with a tobacco-free policy may request nicotine gum free of charge while on campus.

Cigarette smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer. West Virginia is seventh in the nation in lung cancer deaths. Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals including arsenic (rat poison), acetone (paint remover) and nicotine (insecticide). An individual who smokes not only puts himself/herself and others in danger, they will spend more than $65,000 on cigarettes in 20 years with a two-pack-a-day habit.