Some of you may be thinking, “Why is Kellie writing a blog post about smoking cigarettes? Isn’t that old news?”.

Yeah. You’re right. It is old news…which is exactly why it baffles me to see young college students smoking like chimneys! As part of my schooling, I recently took a trip to Disney World (hard life, I know) with ~ 130 undergraduate students. Of those 130 students, about 15 of them were smokers, and every time we stopped on our drive to and from Disney World, all of them would run off the bus to squeeze in a quick smoking session. So the purpose of this blog post is to remind people why smoking tobacco is so terrible and what you can do to help someone quit.

Two reason why smoking tobacco sucks:

1. Smoking Kill You! Smoking tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death. In fact, 1 in 5 deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to smoking tobacco. Health affects of smoking include: heart disease, diabetes, dyslipidemia (high cholesterol), stroke, cancers, and, let’s not forget, aesthetic effects (yellowing teeth, wrinkly face and fingers, cracked nails, saggy skin. etc.).

2. Smoking Kills Your Loved Ones (and others!).  In addition to second hand smoke (which increases nonsmokers chances of lung cancer by 20-30%), there is now evidence that third hand smoke is harmful to one’s health. People are exposed to third hand smoke through inhaling, ingesting, or direct contact of materials that were once exposed to smoke (ex: buying a couch that was once owned by a smoker). There is now evidence to show that this third hand smoke can last more than two months after the object had contact with smoke. In other words, smoking tobacco kills everyone who has been exposed to it, including the innocent couch buyer!

Ways you can help someone quit:

1. Talk to them. Don’t assume that someone else has. It may be awkward. In fact, it will probably be uncomfortable as hell. BUT….if you sit them down and express your concern for them, most people will be receptive and will, at the very least, listen to your thoughts.  One idea is to find out more about their smoking habits.  What are their main triggers?  What are their reasons for smoking?  Find out whether they’ve attempted or had any desire to attempt to quit.  Trying to better understand where the person is coming from will allow you to better help them, if they decide they do in fact want to quit.

2. Be prepared with resources that can help. If you are in college, contact your campus health center. Most colleges have two primary health focuses for their students: alcohol abuse and tobacco cessation. For example, Clemson University has a program called CU quit that offers lots of resources for individuals who are interested in quitting tobacco. Or if you aren’t in college, contact your local health district or hospital system. Many tobacco cessation programs are free or offered at an extremely reduced cost because of the public health impact that smoking has (ex: Larimer County in Fort Collins). Do your research. Find out what your community offers, and provide that information to your friend or loved one. Below are a few online resources that may be helpful to you:

http://smokefree.gov

http://betobaccofree.hhs.gov/quit-now/index.html

http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/initiatives/tobacco/index.html

Remember, behavior change is most successful when we have our loved ones supporting us. If there is someone in your life who smokes tobacco, they may just be waiting for someone like you to express care, interest, and genuine concern.

~KW