Don’t be a statistic! According to the American Lung Association, more than 490,000 Americans die each year from tobacco use and/or exposure to secondhand smoke. This makes it the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.
In 1964, the alarming link between smoking and lung cancer was confirmed. Fast forward to today, and we have learned through research that tobacco use and secondhand smoke can affect the body in a variety of ways to include the risk for other cancers, emphysema, heart disease, reproductive issues, macular degeneration, gum disease, an increased risk for diabetes, and more.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that quitting smoking has health benefits, no matter how long or how much you have smoked! In fact, quitting lowers the risk for 12 different cancers, reduces the loss of lung function, improves the prognosis for people with cancer, reduces the risk for a heart attack, and reduces the risk for death.
If you smoke or use tobacco, no matter how many times you have tried to quit in the past, you can quit for good. Here are some options from the CDC:
- Get free confidential coaching through a telephone quitline: 1-800-QUIT-NOW
- Sign up for free texting programs such as SmokefreeTXT
- Try a mobile app like quitSTART
- Talk with your doctor about medications, both prescription and over-the-counter
In addition, the Big Bend Area Health Education Center (Big Bend AHEC) provides a local smoking cessation program called QUIT YOUR WAY. Call them at 850-224-9340 or go to https://bigbendahec.org/programs/tobacco/ to learn about this free program.
Consider these tips from former smokers as reported to the CDC:
- Adjust your environment to work for you
- Use distraction
- Find a safe substitute for cigarettes
- Listen to urges, then talk back
- Tell people you’re quitting so they can support you
For more information quitting smoking and vaping, go to https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco or https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking