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Show 1 July 29, 993 Hilltop Times 15 Quitting smoking benefits everyone A growing body of evidence suggests that cigarette smoking is bad not only for smokers, but also for people who live and work around them, especially children. Studies indicate that sidestream smoke increases the carbon monoxide levels in the blood and deposits tar in the lungs of those living with smokers. People with allergies to smoke and people with asthma or heart trouble are especially at risk. For these reasons and others, nearly three million Americans quit each year. The most important step to take is deciding to quit. It doesn't matter if you've tried before and started to smoke again. You can quit for good. In fact, the more times you try, the more likely you are to succeed. Deciding that you want to quit is the first step to becoming You must make your own firm decision. an ' No one else can quit for you. Quitting smoking may be the best thing you can do for your health. Kicking the habit reduces your risk of heart disease and cancer the two top killers of Americans. Quitting smoking also reduces your risk of stroke. Here are some steps to take to quit smoking for good. Getting1 started: D STEP . List all of your reasons to stop smoking. Repeat the reasons to yourself each day, several times a day. H STEP 2. Set a "quit date" and write it on your calendar. Tell your family and friends about the date. Once you have quit: D STEP D STEP 3. Avoid tempting situations. 4. Do something else when you have the urge to smoke. Take a walk, eat a piece of fruit, chew some gum, or call a friend. B STEP 5. Join a class to help you quit. Classes are held monthly for military and civilian workers at Hill AFB. Call the Thornton Community Center for details, Ext. Sinnikel!es s by Evelyn D. Harris American Forces Information Service d fewer There are almost smokers in the" U.S. Coast Guard today than two years ago, said Capt. (Dr.) Alan Steinman. The rate decreased from 29 percent to 20 percent between 1990 and 1992. Steinman, a Public Health Service physician, heads the wellness program at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Two years ago, the Coast Guard instituted a policy of "no smoking in enclosed areas." That was all some smoking "Coasties" needed to quit, but it wasn't enough for everyone. Others simply switched to smokea trend also reported less tobacco by doctors around the country. So what did the Coast Guard do to reduce tobacco use while discouraging ' people from simply switching addictions? "We had an aggressive program for everyone, but we especially focused on recruits," said Steinman. "First, we don't allow any tobacco use during the eight weeks of basic training. "Basic training isn't much fun anyway, so the smoking ban is just one more irritation. We give them weekend liberty at the end of the seventh week so that would be their first opportunity to smoke. Just before that liberty, we show a short video and slides. After that, we have a discussion about using tobacco both in smok-abl- e and smokeless forms. and we "We keep it very low-ketalk to them like the adults they are," tfbss p)ir sy bstfotfimtfe one-thir- ? y Marsee Sean . at 16, f y anchor leg on relay, won 28 medals. He was a regular user of smokeless 400-met- er tobacco. Sean just before he died of oral cancer at age 19. the effects of smoking on the lungs and the effects of smokeless tobacco. I tell them many brands have sugar in them and increase the chance of tooth For the video, we use a Coastie who used to smoke. Shawn Essert made the tape when he was a seaman he's now a marine science technician third decay. class." "The kicker is showing recruits beEssert was in the Coast Guard fore and after slides of a young man the he made when tape. Honor Guard oral cancer. Most of these pawith makes that Steinman says position end up losing part of their jaw, tients credible. Essert "He tells how, on his first liberty, he and the chemotherapy results in hair smoked half a pack of cigarettes in half loss. The effect on appearance is an hour. He became violently ill so enough to change most young men's minds. ill he tore muscles in his chest and he "The whole thing video, slide talk Since couldn't exercise for weeks. takes little more discussion and was an athlete, that really upset him," said Steinman. 20 than became he minutes," reason Steinman said. "The from return When without weeks liberty, the seven they so ill is that after an take recruits his survey. shaken anonymous smoking he'd physically used whether asks tolerThe his they and lost survey tobacco addiction ance. Nicotine is a poison, and this tobacco before joining the Coast Guard. It asks whether they smoked clearly demonstrates that. "Anyway, additionor used smokeless tobacco and with all these factors and the al nudge from his wife, who wanted whether the discussion influenced them on liberty. he quit. He tell the auhim to quit Based on about 2,600 recruit did. he Steinman said. "Since treating dience that he's glada health specialist responses, Steinman said 58 percent of "After the video, recruits like adults isn't always a big slides on male users and 64 percent of female some shows a little and part of basic training, that alone helps. talks y, users were influenced not to use tobacco on liberty. For "hard-core- " users, which he describes as those who both smoked and used smokeless tobacco before, 20 percent didn't use (tobacco) on liberty and 46 percent were convinced to seriously consider quitting. Furthermore, 51 percent of female recruits and 47 percent of males said the discussion influenced them to try to encourage their shipmates not to use tobacco. In addition to the formal program for recruits, Steinman said he's gotten good results from a poster placed in Coast Guard gyms around the country. The poster shows Sean Marsee, a high school athlete from Ada, Okla., who used smokeless tobacco because he thought it was safe. Marsee is seen then first as a handsome died he before as a shortly his of one side lost of oral cancer. "He of out tubes he has and coming jaw, his nose," Steinman remarked. On his deathbed, Marsee wrote, "Tell them not to dip or chew." He had lost the ability to talk, but he wanted other young people to avoid his fate. Marsee used about half a can of snuff a day until he got cancer. "I've had some guys come up and tell me that just seeing that poster was all it took to get them to quit," Steinman continued. "Coast Guard health promotion people in the field have reported the same thing. Marsee and his parents really did a good thing by allowing his picture to be used. I'm going to keep it up in our gyms." Steinman recently briefed the Army, which is thinking about adopting his program. ld |