Smokers: A Healthier Future Starts When You Quit
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Smokers: A Healthier Future Starts When You Quit

Despite significant progress in reducing smoking rates—dropping from 42% in 1965 to about 14% in 2019—approximately 34 million American adults still smoke. In fact, smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., responsible for about 480,000 deaths annually.

The Great American Smokeout serves as a reminder of these statistics and emphasizes that quitting smoking can dramatically reduce cancer risk and improve overall health.

The journey to becoming smoke-free begins with one day. By participating in the Great American Smokeout on November 21 and quitting for just one day, you can begin planning your journey towards being smoke-free for life.

To ensure the best chance of success, it’s helpful to make a plan for how you’ll succeed on November 21 and beyond.

First, stay focused on how quitting will improve your life and health. Did you know that within 8 minutes of quitting smoking your heart rate and blood pressure begin to return to a normal level and your hands and feet begin to warm to their usual temperature?

Click here for more benefits you’ll appreciate in the minutes, hours, weeks, and months after quitting.

Second, seek support.

This includes letting those around you—family, friends, and coworkers—know of your desire to quit and how important it is to you. If they’re smokers, ask them to keep tobacco out of sight

In addition, tap into the many FREE resources are available to support you on journey. Here are just a few places to start.

 

IN VERMONT:

802Quits

802quits.org

A free program offering personalized counseling and tips and tools—including nicotine replacement patches, gum or lozenges, delivered directly to your home—to quit any nicotine or tobacco product. Vermont residents ages 18 and older may be eligible for cash-value gift card rewards, up to $250, for completed coaching calls. Some conditions apply.

My Healthy Vermont

Myhealthyvt.org

Offers free weekly, small-group workshops offered online and in person with trained leaders and fellow aspiring ex-smokers to guide and support you in creating a plan of action for becoming tobacco-free, tips for managing the stress of quitting and cravings, as well as free gum, lozenges, and patches.

For a list of upcoming classes, visit: myhealthyvt.org/workshop_dates/?cat=4

My Life My Quit

vt.mylifemyquit.org

Designed specifically for teens under age 18 who want to stop using tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes. The program combines best practices using real-time talk, texting and online chat for youth to reach a Tobacco Cessation Coach to receive smart, simple and effective help.

 

IN MASSACHUSETTS:

1-800-QUIT-NOW

1-800-784-8669

Call for free, confidential one-on-one coaching from a trained Quit Coach by phone or online who share strategies to curb cravings, handle life’s big and small stresses, and tackle relapses. Quit Coaches can help you connect with quit-smoking medicines through your health insurer or community programs and may also be able to provide you send an initial two-week supply to your home at no cost to you.

My Life My Quit

ma.mylifemyquit.org

Designed specifically for teens under age 18 who want to stop using tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes. The program combines best practices using real-time talk, texting and online chat for youth to reach a Tobacco Cessation Coach to receive smart, simple and effective help.

 

IN NEW YORK:

New York State Smokers’ Quitline   

1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487)

Call to be connected to a trained Quit Coach who can support and guide you as you navigate a path to smoke-free living.

Learn2QuitNY

Text 716-309-4688 to participate in a six-week text messaging program that will take you through the quitting process step-by-step. 

This Is Quitting

Text “DROPTHEVAPE” to 88709 

A free texting support program for teens and young adults (ages 13-24) looking to quit vaping. Parents can also text “QUIT” to 202-899-7550 to receive daily advice to help youth quit.

Virtual The Butt Stops Here Program  

A free 7-week online group tobacco cessation program that meets once per week with a trained facilitator. To register or for more information, email ButtStopsHereNY@gmail.com.

 

In addition, the American Cancer Society (ACS) offers Empowered to Quit, a free, email-based program to help you quit smoking. Developed by researchers at the ACS, improves the odds of successfully quitting by 47%.

 

Kim Fodor, MD, is a primary care physician at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department.

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A Note from SVMC Dentistry

Unlike many other types of health care, most dental procedures require that a patient be present in the office with their mouth uncovered and wide open. In addition, many dental procedures, produce a lot of spray or aerosolized particles that could spread infection. For these reasons, reopening dental offices while COVID-19 circulates requires many strict precautions to ensure safety for patients and staff.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Vermont Department of Health have issued the requirements necessary to reopen our office for patient care. For the next few months, the changes lessen by half the number of patients we are able to see per day and dramatically change the care experience.

Here are some of the changes we've made:

  • We are screening and testing our staff, and all staff are wearing more protective equipment than ever, including treatment gowns and gloves, head coverings, facemasks (such as surgical masks, N95 masks, or respirators), and face-shields, as required during treatment procedures.
  • Patients can use the "virtual" waiting room to lessen the number of people in our waiting room and observe social distancing. We ask that only one person accompany a patient to a dental appointment and only if the patient needs assistance.
  • We screen patients at the Medical Office Building entrance to ensure they have no symptoms and that they are wearing a facemask. Patients must wear their facemask at all times, except during the actual treatment.
  • Some preventive care and treatments carry a higher risk for producing airborne oral droplets. These procedures may be modified to ensure that care is safe.
  • Most dramatically, depending on the dental treatment, a room must remain idle for 15 minutes - 1 hour to allow droplets to settle before disinfection. This limits the number of patients that we can treat each day.

While it is very disappointing to us—after all, we became dentists and hygienists because we like to provide dental care—all existing appointments will be suspended and a new schedule will be created, based on the time it takes for a room to be disinfected. We understand that this is frustrating for patients who must wait longer than usual for an appointment, but it is also necessary to make care safe for all.

Major changes to the ventilation systems—the installation of HEPA filtration and negative-pressure in our treatment rooms—will eliminate airborne droplets more quickly and enable us to see more patients per day. This change is expected to be complete later this summer.

In the meantime, we appreciate your patience as we meet your needs as best we can. We encourage you to continue vigilant home care and reach out to us with your questions. Most of all, we look forward to returning to a more normal time when we can deliver all of the dental care our community needs safely and efficiently.

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