HEALTH MATTERS
By: Geri Karpiscak, RNC
The statistics confirm what most people even smokers will readily admit: that smoking is hazardous to your health and that it is beneficial for those addicted to nicotine to quit.
Easier said than done. People have enjoyed the dangerous habit of smoking for hundreds of years. In 1519, the French ambassador to Portugal, Jean Nicot, introduced nicotianna tobacum to the French court, and chemists later named the poisonous substance in tobacco leaves "nicotine."
It wasn’t until 1957 that studies proved a direct relationship between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, and within 9 years, cigarette packages began carrying health warnings. Twenty years later, the Surgeon General declared second-hand smoke dangerous and bans began cropping up in restaurants, on domestic air flights, and on buses and trains.
Despite heightened awareness about the risks of smoking, the American Cancer Society reports that cigarettes cause one of every five deaths in the United States. Tobacco-related health care costs run $100 billion per year. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke causes 3,000 lung cancer deaths per year. Smokers miss 50 percent more worktime than nonsmokers and cost employers about $1,500 more annually due to lost productivity, absenteeism and health care.
The Centers for Disease Control’s data for New Jersey note that 21 percent of adults smoke, while the number of high-school students who smoke is 37 percent and rising. Kids under age 18 who become new daily smokers number 31,000 each year, with 398,000 more kids exposed to second-hand smoke at home.
Despite the campaign to prevent vendors from selling cigarettes to under-age children, 8.2 million packs are sold to New Jersey kids every year. Research studies find that children are three times more susceptible to tobacco advertising than adults, and one-third of under-age smoking experimentation is attributed to advertising. In New Jersey alone, the tobacco industry spends $157 million on advertising and promotion.
Unfortunately, smoking is an extremely difficult habit to break. Smokers become "hooked" chemically, psychologically and behaviorally. Nicotine regulates mood, suppresses appetite and increases metabolic rate and adrenalin production. These are some of the perceived advantages. Nicotine also raises blood pressure, constricts blood vessels, increases stomach acid, heart rate and fatty cholesterol deposits, and decreases levels of vitamin C.
For those who have made up their minds that they want to quit, help is available.
Effective interventions include nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), such as transdermal nicotine patches and nicotine gum. Nicotine replacement therapy can help a person kick the habit while significantly decreasing or eliminating the chemical withdrawal symptoms.
Although NRT is available over the counter, not everyone can use these products. Pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions should not use these products.
You should NEVER smoke while using nicotine replacement therapy. Non-nicotine therapy, such as traditional behavior modification, hypnosis, and prescription drugs, provide other options to assist in the breaking of the behavioral and psychological addiction. The prescription drug Zyban, also known as the antidepressant Welbutrin, has been found to decrease cravings.
Also, the IRS has just announced that it would allow smokers to deduct the cost of programs and prescription drugs that help people stop smoking as a medical expense for taxpayers who itemize their returns. For a free federal guide, "You Can Quit Smoking," call 1-800-358-9295.
Researchers have found that counseling classes complement and greatly increase the effectiveness of other cessation methods. Freshstart, developed by the American Cancer Society, is one such program. Freshstart consists of four hour-long evening sessions, making it easier to "commit to quit." This stop-smoking program is based on education, behavior modification and group support.
Making up your mind to quit and then gathering support is the surest way to achieve your goal. Let everyone know that you are trying to quit. Throw out all cigarettes and ashtrays. Avoid alcohol as it lowers inhibitions. Also avoid caffeinated beverages, as caffeine is a stimulant similar to nicotine. Know that the initial drop-out rate for people trying to quit runs high and it is normal to make three to five attempts before you successfully quit.
It is best not to consider yourself a permanent non-smoker until you have stopped smoking for at least six months. To avoid falling back into the nicotine habit, continue to seek support. Recommended Internet support sites include lungusa.com and quitnet.com. Do it for yourself and for your loved ones and you’ll find much satisfaction in leading a tobacco-free life.
Geri Karpiscak, RNC, is coordinator of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation at The Medical Center at Princeton. Readers seeking information about smoking-cessation programs in the Princeton area can call The Medical Center’s Education Department at (609) 497-4480. This article was prepared in collaboration with Lorraine Seabrook.

