Tana
Loy
Associate Medical Writer
It is amazing how quickly
information, and the opinions that come with it, spread in our
technology-driven world. With the advent
of social media, we have seen just how quickly mere tidbits of information can
explode online, ending up on our news feeds and eventually being discussed
amongst ourselves. With this method of
obtaining information, it would be extremely interesting to see how we could
have changed the public’s opinion on cigarette smoking had the deleterious
information been available online in 1964.
Next year will mark 40 years
since the United States Surgeon General released a comprehensive study
revealing the negative effects of cigarette smoking.1 It took US
government until 1971 to ban all radio and television advertisements for
cigarettes.1 In 1965, 42% of adults identified as smokers.2 In 2011, that number dropped dramatically to
19%.3 While a 51% drop in significant,
smoking still cost us over $193 billion in 2004.4 One would think
that the financial costs alone would be reason enough to stop, as per-person
costs are estimated at $4,260 per adult smoker in 2004.4 However,
Americans are still willing to shell out over $10 a pack in some areas.
What will it take to get the
remaining one-fifth of Americans to quit smoking? By now, it is extremely
common knowledge that smoking is truly dangerous, and how every part of one’s
overall well-being suffers from the effects of smoking. Will telling smokers
over and over about the damage second-hand smoke does to those around them,
especially their children, light the spark to get them to quit? Will social ostracization ever be enough of a
motivator? How about higher taxes on
cigarettes or smoke-free workplaces?
Instead of punishing the
smokers in our lives, maybe this year we can take a different approach. This year, let’s encourage our friends to
abstain on November 21 for The Great American Smokeout. Let’s pledge to support
them by being available to listen when their willpower is tested, or by helping
them keep track of their physical and mental changes during their journey to
becoming smoke-free. Let’s celebrate
small victories with a special meal or gift to keep them on the right
track. We can offer to join our
coworkers in an exercise break instead of a smoke break. For the healthcare
professionals with patients who smoke, why not start an initiative to offer a
smoking cessation treatment plan every time they come in for a visit? We can
become partners in their victory, because their victory affects us all.
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References
Publication
Date November 6, 2013
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