World No Tobacco Day - May 31, 2012

Tobacco use is one of the leading preventable causes of death. The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600,000 are people exposed to second-hand smoke.

As more and more countries move to fully meet their obligations under the WHO FCTC, the tobacco industry's efforts to undermine the treaty are becoming more and more energetic. For example, in an attempt to halt the adoption of pictorial health warnings on packages of tobacco, the industry recently adopted the novel tactic of suing countries under bilateral investment treaties, claiming that the warnings impinge the companies' attempts to use their legally-registered brands.

The World Health Organization (WHO) selects "tobacco industry interference" as the theme of the next World No Tobacco Day, which will take place on Thursday, 31 May 2012. The campaign will focus on the need to expose and counter the tobacco industry's brazen and increasingly aggressive attempts to undermine the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) because of the serious danger they pose to public health.

The LBD PCN offers a FREE Smoking Cessation program at our Leduc office. The program is a comprehensive, individualized one-on-one session(s) with our LBD PCN Pharmacist, Nandini Desai.

The session will address:

• why quitting is hard
• pros and cons of smoking
• medication options
• how to identify triggers
• how to handle stress
• how to prevent weight gain

The session will also:

• help you develop a Quit Plan to enhance success
• give you ongoing support as needed, so you stay quit

For more information about our Smoking Cessation program and to receive your free Quit Kit, contact Nandini at 780-986-6624.

Be A Donor

CTV Canada AM hosted the Be A Donor special this morning, featuring Helene Campbell, a 21 year old Canadian who underwent a double lung transplant last month.


Be A Donor Live Chat


CTV Canada AM provided some interesting statistics on Twitter about organ donation:


- For every 10 people who need a heart transplant in Canada, only two will receive the organ they need
- Only 13 out of every 1,000,000 Canadians are organ donors
- Canada has one of the lowest donation rates in the developed world
- The oldest organ donor in Canada was 90 years old. Age is not a barrier
- Right now, more than 4500 Canadians are waiting for an organ transplant
- Of those, 75% need a kidney
- Those numbers have doubled since 1991, due to rising rates of diabetes


You can followt the discussion on Twitter by using the following hashtag: #beadonor or by following @CTVCanadaAM


For more information on organ donation statistics, please visit the Canadian Institute of Health Information website.


Alberta, Nunavut and Northwest Territories do not have online registeries at this time. To find out how to become an organ donor in Alberta, sign the back of your health card.

For all other provinces, please seach online for your province's online registry.

Leduc & Area MS Community Support Group

The Leduc MS Community Support Group is a friendly, supportive and warm group that joins together to chat about all aspects of their lives. A very welcoming group, the structure of the meetings varies between chat sessions and presentations on a variety of topics. The group also has a summer BBQ in June and a holiday dinner in December.

The Leduc MS Community Support Group is a montly drop-in group and is led by a facilitator from the MS Society of Canada, Edmonton and Capital Region and typically ranges in size from 5 - 10 people each meeting.

Time and Date: 2nd Tuesday of each month
                           7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location:           Smitty's Restaurant
                           5004 50 Street, Leduc

For more information on the Leduc MS Community Support Group, please contact Cathy Buchanan at 780-471-3034 or cathy.buchanan@mssociety.ca

May is MS Awareness Month.

The MS Society helps those living with MS and is bringing the cure within reach.
For more information, please visit the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada website.

Asthma Awareness

Physicians define asthma as a "chronic inflammatory disease of the airway" that causes the following symptoms:

- Shortness of breath
- Tightness in the chest
- Coughing
- Wheezing

Asthma has no set pattern. Its symptoms:

- Can be mild, moderate or severe
- Can vary from person to person
- Can flare up from time to time and then not appear for long periods
- Can vary from one episode to the next

The cause of asthma is not known, and currently there is no cure. However, there are many things you can do so you can live symptom-free, including adding regular exercise to your daily routine.

It's important to note that the benefits of regular exercise almost always outweigh the risks associated with exercise-induced asthma. These benefits include:

- Improved efficiency of the heart and lungs
- Increased muscle strength and endurance
- Improved flexibility and posture
- Improved ability to relax

For more information, please visit the Asthma Society of Canada website.

National Nursing Week

Celebrate nurses and national nursing week May 7-13, 2012.

Nursing - The Health of Our Nation.

The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network is proud to celebrate our nurses and all the work they do to help improve the health of our patients.

Chris
Carla
Ledise

Thank you, for all you do.

To see events celebrating National Nursing Week, please see the Canadian Nurses Association website.

Mental Health Week

The Canadian Mental Health Association marks May 7-13, 2012 as Mental Health Week.

Maintaining your mental health is a lot like staying physically fit: it requires a little personal effort every day.

Here are some simple ways to practice mental fitness:

Learn how to cope with negative thoughts: Negative thoughts can be insistent and loud: don't let them take over. Distract yourself or comfort yourself if you can't solve a problem right away. Try seeing the issue from all sides rather than from just one point of view.

Be in the present: When you're out for a walk or socializing, turn off the cell phone and take in all the sights and sounds around you. Smell the roses!

"Collect" positive emotional moments: Make a point of thinking about those times when you've felt pleasure, comfort, tenderness, confidence or other positive emotions.

Enjoy hobbies: A hobby helps bring balance to your life. You're doing something because you want to, rather than because you have to. No pressure. It's a form of mental stimulation too.

Treat yourself well: It could be a good meal, a bubble bath, a movie, or just sitting in the park enjoying nature. Small daily treats have a cumulative effect.

Get exercise: Regular physical activity is good for the mind. It can even reduce depression and anxiety. Joining an exercise group or gym is even better because it connects you with others.

For more information, please visit the Canadian Mental Health Association website.

For local assistance, please contact Leduc Mental Health Services at 780-986-2660.