Georgians need to quit using tobacco, undergo routine health screenings, get physically active, and eat healthier, say health officials in response to a new report that shows a decline in cancer deaths in the U.S. These four messages, components of the Live Healthy Georgia campaign, all figure in the American Cancer Society’s Feb. 9 Cancer Facts & Figures Report, which shows the first actual decrease in cancer deaths in the U.S. in 70 years.

“The report actually notes that about half of the cancers in the U.S. are caused by tobacco use, physical inactivity, poor diet, and obesity,” said Dr. Stuart Brown, director of the Division of Public Health. “We want to send a clear message that making lifestyle changes and having routine screenings can save your life.”

Brown noted that cancer mortality trends in Georgia are similar to national trends, with a decrease in cancer deaths among men, and a smaller increase in cancer deaths among women; however, the actual number of cancer deaths in Georgia did not decline.

Smoking accounts for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths in Georgia, while 87 percent of lung cancers are directly related to the use of tobacco products. Georgia’s smoking rates are down from two years ago to 20 percent — below the national smoking rate for the first time.

“We are really making great progress with reducing smoking,” said Brown. “But there is more work to do. Lung cancer is still killing too many Georgians.”

In 2001, DHR launched the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line as a resource for tobacco users. The Quit Line (1-877-270-STOP; 1-877-2NO-FUME for Spanish speakers; TTY: 1-877-777-6534 for the hearing impaired) provides free counseling, a resource library, support and referral services for Georgia tobacco users ages 13 and older who want to quit the tobacco habit.

The Quit Line operates daily from 8 a.m. until midnight, and began offering services to youth, ages 13 – 17, last year. Trained counselors, known as “youth coaches,” provide age-appropriate tobacco cessation counseling and materials to Georgia teens. To date, more than 45,000 people have sought the support of the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line.

Public health officials also encourage Georgians to get checked for cancer and other chronic diseases. Cancers that can be prevented or detected earlier by screening account for about half of all new cancer cases. Regular screening examinations by a health care professional can prevent cervical and colorectal cancers through early detection and removal of precancerous lesions. Detecting cancers of the breast, colon, rectum, cervix, prostate, oral cavity and skin at earlier stages makes treatment more likely to be successful.

Being smoke free and getting checked are part of the five messages of the Live Healthy Georgia campaign launched by DHR in partnership with Gov. Sonny Perdue in March of 2005. The statewide outreach initiative encourages Georgians to follow these steps for better health and well-being: Eat Healthy, Be Active, Be Smoke Free, Get Checked and Be Positive.

For more information about quitting tobacco or getting checked and other ways you can live healthier, visit www.livehealthygeorgia.org.

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