(November 1, 2008)  Tobacco use is the major single cause of cancer deaths in the United States. That is why the American Cancer Society sponsors the Great American Smokeout every year on the Thursday before Thanksgiving: November 20, 2008.

“The idea is to encourage smokers to commit to quitting for 24 hours,” said Debbie Brewster, Wagoner County Tobacco Use Prevention Program Coordinator. “Hopefully, those 24 hours will start a lifetime of smoke-free days. Almost 90% of lung cancers are smoking related, and more Americans die from lung cancer than breast, prostate and colon cancer combined. An estimated 45 million US adults smoke and 8.6 million people are living with serious illness caused by smoking.”

“It’s important for parents to begin talking to their children about smoking from a young age,” Mrs. Brewster continued. “Kindergarten isn’t too soon to have a discussion about cigarette smoking and the effects it can have on health. Many smokers pick up the habit by the age of 11. Ninety percent of adult smokers began before the age of 18. To put the problem into perspective, cigarettes cause more deaths than alcohol, AIDS, car accidents, drug use and suicide combined.”

It’s never too late to quit smoking, and the benefits of kicking the cigarette habit are impressive.

• People who quit, regardless of age, live longer than people who continue to smoke.
• Quitting substantially lowers the risk for other major diseases such as coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease. It also lowers the risk of lung, laryngeal, esophageal, oral, pancreatic, bladder and cervical cancers.
• Within 20 minutes of quitting, your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
• Twelve hours after quitting, carbon monoxide levels in your blood drop to normal.
• Within three months of quitting, lung function increases up to 30%.
• Within a year of quitting, your increased risk of coronary heart disease has been cut in half.
• Fifteen years after quitting, your risk of coronary heart disease approaches that of non-smokers.

“In recent years, we’ve made tremendous progress in changing attitudes about smoking, understanding the addiction and learning how to help people quit and stay quit,” said Mrs. Brewster. “If someone you know plans to quit smoking for The Great American Smokeout, or a date of their own choosing, it’s important to respect and support their decision. This is their lifestyle change and their challenge, so they must be in charge of the process. Don’t take grumpiness as a personal insult. This is normal during nicotine withdrawal and should pass in about two weeks. Offer your supportive presence, but hold your advice unless it’s requested. Don’t take failure or relapse personally. If requested, help the person take inventory of the lessons learned during the failed attempt so they are better poised for success on their next try.”

The American Cancer Society offers these guidelines for quitting and staying quit:

“Research shows that smokers are most successful in kicking the habit when they have some means of support, such as nicotine replacement products, counseling, prescription medicine to lessen cravings, guide books and the encouragement of friends and family members,” Mrs. Brewster concluded. “But, only about one in seven current smokers reports having tried any of these recommended therapies during their last quit attempt.”

One new resource is the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline. You can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or
1-800-784-8669 and in Spanish at 1-800-793-1552. The Helpline is open
Monday – Thursday 7am –11pm, Friday: 7am – 9pm and Saturday & Sunday 8am – 7pm.
Also available in Wagoner County is the Great American Smokeout Drive Thru on Thursday, November 20th sponsored by various Wagoner County businesses including Wagoner Community Hospital at the following locations: