Commit to quit – The Great American Smokeout

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Ashley Wolfe
  • 47th Flying Training Wing public affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  What do Humphrey Bogart, Sigmund Freud and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant have in common? All were icons of their time, successful in their careers and each of them are said to have died from cancer related to heavy smoking.

On Nov. 18, from 3 to 5 p.m., the Health and Wellness Center, in association with the Laughlin Dental Clinic, will be hosting the Great American Smokeout in the lobby of the Losano Fitness Center. The event is to show people how it is possible to quit using tobacco products.

The American Cancer Society has been organizing this event annually for more than 30 years. This national event has been adopted by the Department of Defense and for the past three years has been an annual event at Laughlin.

The idea is to adopt a tobacco user. A friend signs up with a tobacco user by signing a contract for the day. The goal is for the user to pledge to give up or limit their use of tobacco products for one 24-hour period.

The friend who has adopted the user is highly encouraged to give up something for the day as well. An example would be giving up soda or a favorite food for the day.

The reason behind this is to empathize with the user.

"You can't sympathize. You have to empathize. You have to go through what they're going through," said Grisel Sanchez, the HAWC health educator.

Pledging to give up something you love helps make the process easier for the person committing to quit for the day, she said.

In order to entice users to sign up, the HAWC will have several amenities available during the two-hour event. Participants will be able to enjoy free snacks, obtain important health information, get a free massage and receive free oral cancer screenings courtesy of the Dental Clinic.

These incentives, including a raffle for a free teeth whitening from the Dental Clinic, are there not only to encourage tobacco users to commit to quit, but to help them see how simple quitting can be, Sanchez said.

There are three main things a user needs to quit using tobacco, said Sanchez. They need to have the information on hand that gives them the needed knowledge and skills to quit, they need to have techniques to be able to relax and cope on their own so they are not dependent on the nicotine and they need to know that there are ways to reverse the negative effects that tobacco use has on one's appearance.

The event only lasts 24 hours, but what about those who are committed to quitting for longer? There are many ways to defeat the addiction, said Sanchez

The HAWC provides six different programs tailored individually for those interested in quitting their tobacco usage. There are classes, online courses, free medication and even a direct quit line for phone support.

They are even reaching out to involve children by providing events to teach them about the hazards of tobacco. They will be holding a tobacco-free based story time at 9:30 a.m. at the Child Development Center Wednesday, Nov. 17.

Monday, Nov. 15 around 3:30 p.m., they will be holding a session at Laughlin's Youth Center teaching children about what a cigarette is and how it affects a person now and in the future. "Mr. Butts", a cigarette, will also be making an appearance at this event.

Children from ages five to 17 are also encouraged to participate in the anti-tobacco poster contest. The entries will be based on age category, originality, creativity, artistic design and ability to incorporate the message. Anyone who wants to participate must drop the posters off at either the base library, Youth Center, or HAWC by Nov. 17.

A sign up form for this event can be found here. If there are any questions regarding this event or if further information is desired about the programs the HAWC has to offer, contact Mrs. Sanchez at grisel.sanchez.ctr@us.af.mil or 298-6464.