It is a fact that an individual's blood pressure drops just 20 minutes after he or she quits smoking and that lung function increases 30 percent one to three months after quitting. Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is committed to educating the community on managing risk factors that cause cardiovascular disease. No Ifs, Ands or Butts, a smoking cessation support and advice program, is offered free to the public. A brown-bag lunch session runs for seven weeks, from noon to 1 p.m. beginning Tuesday, April 4. The classes are held in the hospital and change locations throughout the seven-week span.
Evening sessions begin Monday, April 17, and run 90 minutes each for six weeks in the I.O. Silver Cardiovascular Specialties clinic, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, University Physician Center, Suite 600, Hershey. The program walks smokers through the entire process from decision-making to quitting and through relapse prevention. Seating is limited. For more information or to register, call the 24-hour CareLine at (800) 243-1455. The program is free to the public.