Time to smokeout tobacco

  • Published
  • By Capt. Daniel Oh
  • 47th Medical Support Squadron
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The American Cancer Society is holds its 37th Great American Smokeout Nov. 15 by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit. The smokeout is held every third Thursday in November, and 15 million smokers in the U.S. will participate by giving up smoking for one day.

Taking this first step is an important one in helping to reduce your dependence on tobacco and will lead towards a healthier life. Quitting smoking is not an easy thing to do but it can be done.

The primary factor involved in smoking is nicotine dependence. The American Lung Association describes nicotine as a drug that is naturally found in tobacco and is as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Over time smokers become physically dependent on and emotionally addicted to nicotine. Nicotine affects many parts of the body, including the heart and blood vessels, hormones and the brain where it may stay in the body for three to four days after the last cigarette smoked.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that adult male smokers lost an average of 13.2 years of life and female smokers lost 14.5 years of life because of smoking. In addition, the ACS mentions that close to 226,160 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed this year with an estimated 160,340 deaths resulting from the condition, which accounts for about 28 percent of all cancer deaths. Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women with more people dying of lung cancer than colon, breast and prostate cancer combined.

In addition to the health effects, there is also a monetary toll. Each year the Department of Defense spends an estimated $930 million on smoking-related health care and productivity loss. The ALA states the annual cost to the states for smoking is $301 billion.
Of that total, $116.4 billion is in direct health care expenditures, $67.5 billion in workplace productivity losses, and $117.1 billion in premature death.

If you decide to quit there are some immediate benefits, which include dropping of blood pressure and heart rate within 20 minutes; lung function increases within two weeks to three months. Coughing and shortness of breath decreases in one month, and excess risk of heart disease is reduced by half one year after quitting. With the average cost of a pack of cigarettes at $5.50, people who decide to quit will see a savings of $2,000 per year.

For many, the most significant and important accomplishment is to kick the habit of smoking. If you are interested in quitting, please use The Great American Smokeout as your quit date and tell your family and friends about that date to gain support. Other support programs include web-based classes from the ALA and telephone support for a tailored plan through the ACS.

Whatever your reason for quitting may be, please take advantage of the quit date to start your path to a healthier life.