Butt out

Locally, Boise Inc. has a plan to encourage its staff to stop using tobacco products for the day — a “cold turkey” sandwich will be given to those who sign up for the program and sign a commitment to quit Thursday.

“Incentives are always inspiring,” said Nancy McHarg, Boise nurse coordinator.

In addition to the free sandwich, McHarg said that Boise will also have brochures on the dangers of tobacco use and its impact on health, brochures on the state program “Quitline” which offers free counseling and quit aids, such as the nicotine patch or gum. Employees who want to quit are also able to visit the company’s health service any time for assistance.

She said that the company will also be sending out messages via company e-mail and the company newsletter encouraging people who use tobacco products to try quitting for just one day, in hopes of their quitting eventually “if not today.”

“I think from a business standpoint, anything we can do to support and encourage our employees to engage in healthier lifestyle changes is beneficial to everyone,” said McHarg. “A healthy work force is a happier, productive work force. As our county’s largest employer, Boise has always been a leader in smoke-free policy and cessation. It has helped many of our employees to quit or cut down. The impact of the health of our work force, I believe, has been tremendous as a result.

“I also believe that our community norms have also been impacted somewhat by these efforts. Even if we can only support one or two people to quit for a day, and hopefully for good, during this year’s campaign, our efforts will have been a success.”

Boise has been involved in supporting smoking cessation for its employees since the inception of its smoke-free policy implemented in the early 1990s under the leadership of Dr. Jon Talsness.

“Programs like the Great American Smokeout act as a reminder to all of us of the dangers of tobacco use and can act as a catalyst for healthier lifestyle changes,” McHarg said. “Change happens gradually so it’s important to hear these messages from a variety of venues on a continuous basis.”

And the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society and other groups hope that the message to stop smoking will have an impact on the number of people who smoke and those who try to quit.

Making the choice to quit

“More than half of Minnesota smokers want to quit each year,” reports Laura Whittaker, program coordinator for the American Lung Association in Minnesota, adding that this is a very motivated group of individuals who try to stop smoking. “This is a great opportunity to remind people that they can quit.”

According to Whittaker, about 17 percent of Minnesotans consider themselves smokers. That figure is lower than the national average of more than 20 percent of Americans who currently use tobacco products, according to a 2008 national survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cigarette smoking rose slightly for the first time in almost 15 years, dashing health officials’ hopes that the U.S. smoking rate had moved permanently below 20 percent, according to a recent Associated Press story. It also is the first increase in adult smoking since 1994, experts noted.

Thirty-three years ago D-Day (Don’t Smoke Day) was founded by Lynn R. Smith, editor of the Monticello Times in Minnesota, according to information from the American Lung Association in Minnesota. Two years later, it became nationally recognized and was renamed the Great American Smokeout.

“This is the 34th year and each year gets bigger and better,” Whittaker said. “It’s its own entity now.”

Many companies, schools, civic groups and individuals across the country will be involved in quit programs or spreading education about tobacco use this week.

“Tobacco prevention has always been a passion of mine because I see every day the toll it takes,” McHarg said, noting that Boise has, in the past, participated in tobacco cessation programs. “When the American Lung association contacted me to partner for this event, I felt that it would be a great opportunity to help keep the tobacco-free momentum going and get more people to think about quitting.”

Also imperative in this effort to encourage people to quit smoking are smoke-free laws and higher tobacco taxes which make it harder for people to smoke, and protect nonsmokers from tobacco smoke, according to the lung association. Two years ago, Minnesota enacted the statewide smoke-free law, the Freedom to Breathe Act, which created smoke-free workplaces including bars, restaurants, and private clubs.

“Minnesota is making a lot of progress,” she said. “But there is still more to be done in the area to protect people from second-hand smoke.”

Whittaker said that Minnesota was among the half of states that have enacted such smoke-free policies. In addition, she said that increases in cigarette taxes across the nation and in Minnesota have also cut down on tobacco use, noting that Minnesota had a mid-level tax compared to other states.

“When smoke-free Minnesota took over, there was a huge rise in people trying to quit, and again when the federal tax went up,” she said. “Policy and money have a huge impact on quitting.”

Between 1997 and 2004, the average retail price of a pack of cigarettes — adjusted for inflation — jumped 63 percent, and adult smoking declined about 15 percent, according to the Associated Press. Between 2004 and 2008, the price rose just 2 percent, while adult smoking declined by nearly 1 percent.

Health impacts

The reduction in second-hand smoke exposure in Minnesota workplaces is helping control health-care costs, information provided by the American Lung Association in Minnesota said. According to a 2007 study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, $215.7 million is spent each year in Minnesota to treat health conditions caused by second-hand smoke. Second-hand smoke is known to cause cancer and contains 250 toxic chemicals.

“Tobacco use remains the single-largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States,” according to the American Lung Association in Minnesota. “Each year, smoking accounts for an estimated 443,000 premature deaths, including 38,000 deaths among non-smokers as a result of second-hand smoke. Half of all Americans who continue to smoke will die from smoking-related diseases. Nearly one of every five deaths in the U.S. is related to smoking. Cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined. Cigarette smoking accounts for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths, and about 87 percent of lung cancer deaths.”

According to the American Cancer Society, researchers say quitting smoking can increase life expectancy. Smokers who quit at age 35 gain an average of eight years of life expectancy; those who quit at age 55 gain about five years; and even long-term smokers who quit at 65 gain three years. People who stop smoking before age 50 can cut their risk of dying in the next 15 years in half compared with those who continue to smoke.

Smokers who quit also reduce their risk of lung cancer 10 years after quitting. The lung-cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker. Some of the health effects of quitting are almost instant as well — heart rate and blood pressure drop 20 minutes after quitting.

In addition, the lung association reports that quitting smoking also has an impact on an individual’s wallet. The average two-pack-a-day smoker in Minnesota spends approximately $3,000 per year on cigarettes.

Quitting resources

Minnesotans have access to the free quit-smoking resources from QUITPLAN Services. Call 1-888-354-PLAN (7526) or visit www.quitplan.com. Studies have found that telephone counseling can more than double a person’s chances of successfully quitting tobacco. Callers to QUITPLAN Services are provided with free quit-smoking help or connected to other resources through their health plans.

The American Lung Association in Minnesota offers other free resources – through the Lung HelpLine at 1-800-LUNG USA (1-800-586-4872) and at www.freedomfromsmoking.org — that can increase a smoker’s chances of quitting successfully and provide information about lung health.

Smokers who want to quit can call the American Cancer Society Quit For Life Program operated and managed by Free & Clear at 1-800-227-2345 for tobacco cessation and coaching services that can help increase their chances of quitting for good.

For many smokers, quitting is a real challenge.

Whittaker noted that for non-smokers hoping to lend a hand to those smoking, “the biggest thing is to encourage them and be compassionate.”

Tips to Quit Tobacco

• Research has shown that using a quit-smoking medicine can double your chances of success. Talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about which ones may be right for you.

• Use telephone counseling programs. All Minnesotans have access to the free quit smoking resources from QUITPLAN Services. Call 1-888-354-PLAN (7526) or visit www.quitplan.com.

• Write down your reasons for wanting to quit. Keep the list with you to read when you need a reminder.

• Throw away all of your cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays.

• Think of all the things you usually do while you smoke. Then come up with a plan including activities you can do instead.

• Set a quit date and plan ahead to help deal with cravings.

• Tell your family, friends, and co-workers about your plans to quit. Their support can really help.

• Have other things to put in your mouth rather than cigarettes, such as peppermints, carrot sticks, toothpicks, or cinnamon sticks.

• Stay busy.

• Think ahead, and avoid situations that trigger an urge to smoke.

Tips provided by the American Lung Association in Minnesota