Cigarettes bring together more than 50 chemicals that are known to cause cancer. In fact, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the United States and worldwide.
In the U.S., lung cancer is responsible for 29 percent of cancer deaths, more than those from breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer combined. Statistically, lung cancer caused by smoking is responsible for nearly 135,000 U.S. deaths per year.
Early detection [Read more…]
A Hillside Road duplex was damaged by fire early Thursday morning by a fire that officials believe was caused by smoking.
A Hillside Road duplex was damaged by fire early Thursday morning by a fire that officials believe was caused by smoking.
The fire at 4:30 a.m. Thursday at 136 Hillside Road forced the evacuation of a father and son. Neither of the residents were injured, and firefighters were able to rescue a pet cat, a City of Oak Ridge press release said.
Fire was visible from the rear of the residence when the Oak Ridge Fire Department arrived, the press release said. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading into the adjacent residence.
John Dreyzehner
Tennessee Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner will join other state and local officials on Friday, April 11, at the Anderson County Health Department in Clinton to present $64,600 in funding as part of the Tennessee Tobacco Settlement Program.
Each county in Tennessee will receive funding during this three-year program to reduce the burden of tobacco use in the state. All counties are challenged to set goals and select one or more projects that address three topics: eliminating smoking during pregnancy, reducing infants’ and children’s exposure to second-hand smoke, and preventing child and adolescent tobacco use. Anderson County will implement first-year projects targeting each of these three focus areas.
Funding from the Tobacco Settlement was provided to the Tennessee Department of Health for fiscal years 2014-16 to address the state’s high rate of tobacco use and prevent expensive related medical costs. The plan to distribute $15 million over three years has been generated with input from all 95 counties. This plan includes a variety of projects to target behaviors designed to protect the health of Tennessee’s most vulnerable populations: unborn babies, pregnant women, and children.
Kick Butts Day is a national day of activism that empowers youth to stand out, speak up, and seize control against tobacco. This year, national Kick Butts Day was March 19, which Anderson County students celebrated the week of March 24 due to Spring Break.
Through partnerships between Anderson County Coordinated School Health, Clinton City Coordinated School Health, Oak Ridge Coordinated School Health, the Anderson County Health Department, and Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) of Anderson County, this Kick Butts Day was an amazing success, a press release said.
“We were very excited to partner with other school systems and organizations for Kick Butts Day,†said Kim Guinn, ACS coordinated school health director. “By working together, we were able to make a larger impact on our community. We all want to accomplish the same goal and see our students choose not to use tobacco.” [Read more…]
A fire apparently caused by cigarette smoking caused minimal damage to a second-floor Tara Hills apartment on Wednesday afternoon.
A fire apparently caused by cigarette smoking caused minimal damage to a second-floor Tara Hills apartment on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.
No one was home when firefighters arrived at about 1 p.m. Wednesday, said Josh Waldo, Oak Ridge Fire Department assistant fire chief.
The fire caused an estimated $1,000 in damages, mostly to the building’s exterior, Waldo said.
Firefighters found an ashtray on the porch. They removed exterior paneling after they spotted smoke behind it.
Smoking appears to have caused the fatal house fire that killed one person and a dog on Decatur Road on Monday afternoon, authorities said. (Photos by Tom Scott)
Smoking appears to have caused the Monday afternoon fire that killed one person and a dog, fire officials said Tuesday.
“We’re not positive yet, but (the cause of the fire) could be smoking in the living room,†Oak Ridge Fire Chief Darryl Kerley said.
Kerley said the victim’s body was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for an autopsy and identification. The victim appeared to be a man, he said.
Oak Ridge Assistant Fire Chief Josh Waldo said Tuesday afternoon that the victim died in the fire.
