Although this blog features drug treatment centers, because of several news items this week featuring smoking, I decided to address this addictive habit. Although there are not any drug rehabs designed specifically for tobacco addiction most have programs set up to help fight tobacco addiction in the process of fighting other addictions.
As if the smelly clothes, yellow teeth, bad breath, health insurance rates, and being short-winded all the time isn't enough reason to quit smoking...here are a few articles in the news today:
1. Around the world many people made a New Years goal to quit smoking in 2009. How are you doing so far? National Non-Smoking Week (Jan. 18-24) has just started in Canada. If you have already failed at your New Years goal it's not too late...you can stop again today with the Canadians. If you use the excuse that you smoke because your friends smoke(peer pressure), use positive peer pressure and quit together, or find friends that will support you.
2. Last week the House approved the expansion of the government funded SCHIP program, which provides health insurance for low-income children. Guess where the $33 billion dollars is to come from over about a 4 1/2 year time period...in part by an additional $.61 to a $1.00 tax increase on cigarettes. In most places cigarettes are already over $5 bucks a pack, in this economy is this habit really justifiable?
3. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 43 million Americans currently smoke, with 70 percent of them saying they want to stop. Yet over 170,000 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed every year. Tobacco statistics also show 3,900 teenagers under 18 start smoking a day. Stop smoking now so you don't become part of the statistics.
4. Do you use the excuse you cannot afford the $39.95 pack of gum or patches? Here's another solution...Walmart just announced they have expanded their affordable pharmacy program to include a smoking cessation prescription starter pack for $9.00. The starter pack of bupropion ER 150mg (generic equivalentof Zyban) is now available at Walmart and Sam's Club pharmacies in a 10-day supply.
Whether you want the help or not America is trying to help you quit smoking by making it impossible to smoke in restaurants or public places, many clubs now forbid it, some hotels have gone completely smokefree (or charge a huge fine for smoking in a non-smoking room), paid smoke breaks are nearly unheard of, insurance rates for smokers have increased, and now they want to do you a favor and allow you to pay another dollar for every pack you want to smoke. SEE...we are all here as a whole to support every smoker in their effort to quit.
But seriously, stop smoking just for today. And tomorrow, do it again just for today. Do it for yourself, your family, and your friends.
