In support of November's lung cancer awareness month, Emanuel Cancer Center is offering smokers a free "Quit Kit" to help them kick the habit. Complimentary Quit Kits can be reserved online at emanuelmedicalcenter.org/quitter or by phone at 664-2434. Once reserved, Quit Kits can be picked up at Emanuel Cancer Center, 880 E. Tuolumne Rd. in Turlock, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (excluding Thanksgiving and the day after).

The Quit Kits are packed with information to help smokers quit successfully. It includes:
• "I Quit" tote bag
• Wallet-size card that provides four weeks of tips for quitting
• Information about the 1-800-No-Butts stop smoking hotline
• Literature on the health benefits of quitting smoking
• Information on how to stop smoking
• Mints and toothpicks (an alternative to cigarettes)
• A unique ink pen with the slogan "Thumbs up...you quit."

Turlock's Bob Endsley, smoked for 44 years before finally quitting in 2000 and is glad to be free of the nicotine addiction.
"I have a lot of reasons to celebrate," he said. "And, my main reason is finally being able to take a deep breath."
"I definitely have more passion for life now," he said. "It makes me proud of myself."
In addition to showing the very real health problems caused by smoking, medical research has also shown the health benefits smokers realize when they do quit, including decreased risk of heart attack, stroke, lung cancer and other diseases, compared to people who continue to smoke.
Turlock's Bob Field is another former smoker who is spreading the word about benefits of living a smoke-free life.
"You find out pretty quick that it's not that hard to change," he said. "Since I've quit, I feel very confident that my life is going to be longer and better than ever. You just feel so much better. You're able to breathe."
Opened in 2007, the Emanuel Cancer Center brings world-class cancer care to Turlock. For information about Emanuel Cancer Center, visit www.emanuelmedicalcenter.org/cancer.