By Staff
NILES – The Berrien County Health Department, with the Berrien County Tobacco Reduction Coalition will be offering smoking cessation classes to the public in 2009.
The "Freedom From Smoking" program consists of classes that are taught by facilitators certified by the American Lung Association.
The classes offer individuals a step-by-step plan for quitting smoking.
The classes are based on the underlying premise that smoking is a learned habit and thus has become an automatic behavior.
Quitting then becomes a process during which individuals must consciously unlearn this automatic behavior of smoking and substitute in its place healthy new alternatives.
They try to make quitting a less stressful experience and help smokers figure out better ways to cope with situations that ordinarily trigger their lighting up.
The next scheduled class will be offered on Tuesdays, Jan. 6 through Feb. 17, and runs from 12:30-2 p.m.
Classes will take place at the Niles Senior Citizens Center, 1109 Bell Road, Niles.
Class size is limited to 15 participants and pre-registration is recommended.
To register or for more information, please contact Kerri Teachout at (269) 927-5668 or by email, kteachout@bchdmi.org.
The "Freedom From Smoking" program is made possible by a grant from the Michigan Gateway Community Foundation.