LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
Tobacco use is a lifestyle choice capable of deteriorating life.
The Great American Smoke Out is an annual event in the U.S. to inspire and challenge those who use tobacco to quit for 24 hours, hoping this choice will last a lifetime. The event is Nov. 19, and Nov. 23 is "Stay Quit Day" for those who wish to continue not using tobacco.
The idea for a Great American Smoke Out originated from a U.S. Surgeon General's report connecting tobacco use to lung cancer, low birth weight, and coronary disease. After the report, former smoker Lynn Smith wrote editorials in the 1970s urging others to quit. Ms. Smith organized a local event called "D-Day," or "Don't Smoke Day" in 1976 to encourage other smokers to kick the habit. The following year the California chapter of the American Cancer Society successfully prompted nearly one million smokers to quit for the day, and by 1977, the Great American Smoke out was born.
According to the National Cancer Institute, smoking tobacco contains more than 4,000 chemicals, such as Benzene (petrol additive), Formaldehyde (embalming fluid), Ammonia (toilet cleaner), Acetone (nail polish remover), Tar, Nicotine (insecticide/addictive drug), Carbon Monoxide (car exhaust fumes), Arsenic (rat poison), and Hydrogen Cyanide (gas chamber poison). Smoking may cause lung cancer, throat cancer, oral cancer, gum disease, delayed healing after oral surgeries, bad breath, stained teeth, changes in oral tissues (such as the development of black, hairy tongue), and a diminished sense of taste and smell. Although smoking leads to significant problems in the oral cavity, it affects all parts of the human body.
Using smokeless tobacco is not the lesser of two evils, it is still gambling with your health. Smokeless tobacco contains more than 2,000 chemicals, which may be directly related to causing cancer in not only the mouth, but also the rest of the body. Oral cancer occurs several times more frequently among snuff users than among non-tobacco users. Some of the effects of using smokeless tobacco are tooth abrasion, gum recession, increased tooth decay, tooth discoloration, bad breath, and oral cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Some smoker's are not threatened by the health concerns of tobacco use, but one's health is not the only place the habit affects the quality of life. A smoker's pocketbook also takes a big hit because of the cost of tobacco products, which routinely have large amounts of taxes associated with them. In one year, someone who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day will spend anywhere from $1,600 to $2,500 a year on their habit, according to a study by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
There is help to quit if you want it; the Health and Wellness Center have resources for tobacco cessation. Every Wednesday of every month from noon to 1 p.m., the HAWC offers an hour-long cessation class as well as phone and online resources.