HAWC set to kick off Great American Smokeout

  • Published
  • By Nazlin Huerta
  • Travis Health and Wellness Center
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  For some, there is nothing more relaxing than taking that first drag from a cigarette to help relax after a long day.

However, that same long drag is subtracting years from your life.

For many, the health risks associated with a smoking habit may seem distant, not affecting someone until they have smoked for years.

For example, if a person begins smoking before the age of 15, they are more likely to get bladder cancer and lung cancer. 

Smoking as a young adult raises a person's chance of permanent damage and also increases a smoker's chance of experiencing a brain hemorrhage six times more than that of a non-smoker. In addition, smoking can lower fertility and cause women to reach menopause prematurely.

Finally, smoking raises the risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes, three major health problems in the United States.

As a result, 1,200 people die in the U.S. each day from tobacco-related diseases. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention-Tobacco Related Mortality patterns, an estimated 25 million Americans alive today will die prematurely from tobacco-related illnesses, including 5 million people younger than 18 years old.

The good news, these 1,200 deaths are preventable. As more tobacco users successfully quit, tobacco-related deaths will decrease.

In an effort to encourage tobacco users to quit smoking and prevent others from starting, the Health and Wellness Center has scheduled its Great American Smokeout from Nov. 13 to 30. 

The Great American Smokeout will feature: 

-- "Pledge Walls." This is a place where you can pledge to quit or pledge to help a friend quit. You can also pick up information on how to get started and who can help you quit. Look for the "Pledge Wall" at the David Grant USAF Medical Center, the Sierra Inn Dining Hall and 660th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. 

-- Project Uniform presentation: Colleen Haydon, Project Uniform program coordinator, will be at the Sierra Inn Dining Facility, Nov. 13 from noon to 1 p.m., to present important and surprising information about tobacco use. Learn what you can do to not put yourself and others at risk.

For more information, call the HAWC at 424-2187.