HealthBeat Message (March 2010)
Cancer has impacted the lives of most Alaska Natives. We all have had family members, close friends or even ourselves diagnosed with cancer. It is the leading cause of death in Alaska, and Alaska Native cancer rates are the highest of any U.S. ethnic group.
As we learn more about cancer, we learn we can prevent some cancers through our lifestyle choices. About 40 percent of all cancers can be prevented if we quit tobacco, maintain a healthy weight through eating healthy foods and regular exercise, limit our alcohol, avoid excessive sun exposure and get important vaccines (such as for HPV).
Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and it is directly responsible for many types of cancer, and also for heart and lung disease. We know this, but Alaska Natives still have the highest rate of tobacco use — 39 percent compared to just 21.5 percent of all Alaska adults.
The SEARHC Tobacco Program can help you quit, just call 1-888-966-8875. We protect our patients and staff from secondhand smoke with SEARHC's tobacco-free campuses. More of our communities have worked to create clean indoor air. By reducing our use of tobacco, we will reduce our cancer, heart and lung disease rates. Together, as a community and as individuals, let's take the next step to address the health effects of tobacco use.
* PDF files require Acrobat Reader
Copyright © 2010, SEARHC
SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium