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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Six Questions with General Surgeon Gina Diaz, MD

Both outpatient surgical procedures and those requiring an overnight stay are once again being offered at SVMC. General Surgeon Gina Diaz, MD, answers six questions about resuming surgical procedures safely.

1. How does it feel to be able to, once again, offer all of the procedures you had in the past?

As a surgeon, I like to do surgeries. So, to be honest, it feels wonderful get back to the work I enjoy. From late March through the beginning of May, we were still performing emergency surgeries, so everyone who needed a surgery was able to receive one during that time. But it's good to be back to a mix of scheduled and emergency procedures.

 

2. What types of procedures you perform?

My mentor during training sub-specialized in colon and rectal surgeries, and he passed that expertise and interest on to me. But I decided not to sub-specialize, because I also enjoy doing gall bladders, ulcer surgery, hernias, and the removal of skin lesions, cysts, and melanomas. Dr. Charles Salem and I work as a team on breast cancer surgeries. As a group, we provide thyroid and parathyroid and endocrine surgeries. And I provide colonoscopies. I grew up playing video games, which have a lot in common with colonoscopies, I think.

 

3. What do you like most about your job?

Surgery allows you to fix a problem for a patient right then and there. You don't have to wait 6 months for the problem to get better. You can make a problem go away. It’s very rewarding in that way.

 

4. In general, what additional precautions have been put in place to ensure that care is safe?

As surgeons, our precautionary measures have always been among the most advanced. We have always washed and sanitized many, many times a day. We were accustomed to wearing masks and shields, long before COVID-19. We implemented all of the recommendations from our industry, state, and national health institutions and review them consistently.

The whole team takes and reports their temperature daily. If patients are at risk of COVID-19, we wear N95 masks and can convert the operating room into a negative-pressure room. All of these precautions ensure that we don’t transmit infections to patients and they don't transmit them to us. I feel really good about the precautions that we have put in place.

 

5. What would you like to share with people who postponed care because of COVID-19?

I would share that it is safe to come to the hospital, see your providers, and have surgeries done. Adequate precautions are in place, and they are not going anywhere. We, as a group, feel it's safe. We encourage patients who are apprehensive to ask a lot of questions. We want them to be as comfortable as we are about having their procedure done.

 

6. How do you feel about providing care during this time?

I feel comfortable and safe providing care at this time. The new precautions we have put in place really protect both patients and staff, and the quality of care we provide is as high as ever. 

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