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Jan. 28-Feb. 4, 2005 Listen to the message
Smoking
We have all heard that smoking is bad for our health, but how bad is it? In November 2004, the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) and the Georgia Cancer Coalition (GCC) released the 2004 Georgia Tobacco Surveillance Report with the following statistics:
- Tobacco use is the number one cause of death in Georgia. More than 11,000 people die in Georgia every year from tobacco related illnesses—more deaths than from alcohol, cocaine, heroin, AIDS, murder, suicide, auto accidents, and fires combined.
- Of those 11,000 deaths, 4,200 die from cancer, 4,200 die from cardiovascular disease, and 2,600 die from respiratory disease.
- According to a 1998 Georgia Epidemiology Report, smokers who died from a smoking-related disease died an average of 15 years prematurely.
- Secondhand smoke can cause serious health problems for nonsmokers, especially children.
- Smoking costs Georgians $1.2 billion in direct healthcare costs each year.
- Smoking costs Georgians $7.5 billion each year in lost earnings from early death and disability.
(References: http://health.state.ga.us/publications/pressrelease/111804.asp and http://health.state.ga.us/programs/tobacco/tfacts.asp)
Besides the health effects on you and those around you, cigarette smoking is expensive. Most smokers spend hundreds of dollars per year on tobacco products. The American Cancer Society has a calculator on their web site that allows you to figure out how much you are spending per year on cigarettes.
It’s Never Too Late To Quit Smoking
The American Cancer Society reports that within just 24 hours after quitting smoking your chance of a heart attack starts to go down. Within 3 months your lung function can improve by almost one-third. Within one year of quitting smoking your chance of developing heart disease is half that of someone who continues to smoke, and after 10 years your chance of dying from lung cancer is half that of someone who continues to smoke. For more details of the health effects of smoking visit the ACS page.
Other more immediate benefits include getting rid of bad breath, yellow fingernails, and bad smelling hair and clothes. Food begins to taste better and your sense of smell begins to return to normal. When you quit, you reduce the chances that children who live with you will develop ear infections, colds and other lung problems. Two other immediate benefits are: you have more money to spend or save, and you don’t have to stand outside in the cold or rain to smoke a cigarette in public!
How Can I Get More Information About Quitting Smoking?
Quitting smoking is difficult. Most people make several attempts before they can quit for good, so if you have tried to quit in the past but did not succeed, that does not mean you won’t be able to quit now.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) urges you to make a plan on how you are going to quit (for example, are you planning to quit “cold turkey” or use nicotine products? What are you going to do when you get the urge to smoke?), and to ask for the support of other people around you.
Their web site provides detailed information on ways to quit, how to make your plan to quit, the nicotine products available, and support groups at www.cancer.org. (Click on “quitting smoking” under the “Health Information Seekers” section at the top of the page). Or you can phone them directly at their toll free number: 1-800-ACS-2345.
Another excellent resource is the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line (1-877-270-STOP). This is a toll-free hotline that offers free counseling, screening, and support to Georgians who want to quit. Callers speak with trained counselors who develop an individualized quit plan specific to callers' needs and readiness to quit. In the November 2004 report mentioned above, the Georgia Department of Human Resources stated that since the Quit Line began, more than 35,000 Georgia tobacco users have been helped. The report shows that 76 percent of callers to the Quit Line made at least 1 attempt to quit smoking and 21 percent had not used tobacco for 30 days or more.
A third resource that provides detailed information about smoking, tobacco related diseases, and ways to quit smoking is the American Lung Association. You can call them at 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit their web site at www.lungusa.org. This organization recently announced a free Online Quit Smoking Program, Freedom From Smoking, which was promoted by Dr. Phil on his television show. The home page of the web site features a press release about the online program. For details of the program (or to join) select the topic “Quit Smoking” at the top of the home page, and then select “FFS Online Program.”
Join the millions of Americans who have quit smoking by contacting one of the above organizations, or talk to your doctor or nurse about other resources or programs in your community. Let your healthcare provider know that you want to quit smoking and ask for their help; they will be delighted to support you!
