QUIT SMOKING

Smoking: What's it worth to you?

The Department of Defense spends an estimated $1.2 billion annually on tobacco-related health care.  When I mentioned that statistic in a recent interview, the response was "that's a lot of money."  Yes it is.

And when it comes to smoking, it is not just money at stake, but also time, health and years of life forfeited. The longer a person smokes the greater the health risks, and smoking affects both the personal health and readiness of military personnel--jeopardizing our mission.  We also know that those around the smoker, if exposed to tobacco smoke, are at greater risk of adverse health consequences as well.

On Nov. 19, 2009 I encourage Service members, their families and retired beneficiaries who are smokers and tobacco users to commit to a lifestyle change during the "Great American Smokeout."

Every year, the third Thursday in November is a day when millions of Americans make a commitment to smoke less or quit using tobacco products altogether for at least one day. The Great American Smokeout challenges people to stop using tobacco and raises awareness of the many effective ways to quit for good.

The benefits of not smoking are immediate. Twenty minutes after quitting heart rate and blood pressure drop, and 12 hours after quitting the carbon monoxide level in the blood returns to normal.

A study in the British Medical Journal reports every cigarette a man smokes reduces his life by 11 minutes and every year he smokes a pack a day, his life is shortened by almost two months. The American Cancer Society (ACS) reports women who smoke generally experience menopause earlier, and women who use birth control pills have a much higher risk of heart disease if they smoke.

According to ACS former smokers live longer than people who keep smoking. For example, people who quit smoking before age 50 have half the risk of dying in the next 15 years compared with people who keep smoking. On average, adults who smoke die 14 years earlier than nonsmokers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 400,000 premature deaths in the United States each year--about one in every five U.S. deaths, are related to cigarette smoking.

If you're a smoker or tobacco user, now is the time to consider making November 19 your quit day. Take advantage of the smoking cessation services available to TRICARE beneficiaries. Most military treatment facilities offer tobacco cessation programs, with services such as counseling and pharmaceutical support, varying by location.  Check with your doctor for additional help.

Cessation advice and support are also available online. http://www.Ucanquit2.org is the official Web site of the "Quit Tobacco. Make Everyone Proud." educational campaign sponsored by the Defense Department.  There are also a number of non-DoD telephone quit line services available across the United States.

Visit these additional resources:

• The CDC Web site http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/index.htm has information on tobacco use, how to quit, secondhand smoke and more. 
• The American Cancer Society's Web site on the Great American Smokeout, www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/ped_10_4.asp.
• The toll-free number for the American Cancer Society is 1-800-ACS-2345

I hope you will participate or encourage a friend or loved one who smokes to participate in the Great American Smokeout.  If you can quit for a day, you're well on your way to quitting forever.  As the saying goes, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."  Why not make the rest of your life smoke-free?