Tobacco Awareness Month raises concerns for health, fitness

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kali L. Gradishar
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
The Health and Wellness Center is ramping up their efforts against tobacco use in November in recognition of Tobacco Awareness Month by setting up informational booths at the welcome center, post office and Brick House to raise awareness of tobacco cessation programs. 

HAWC representatives are visiting Bitburg and Spangdahlem Middle Schools and Bitburg High school, and reaching out to squadrons to explain the benefits of quitting tobacco and the harmful effects tobacco has on the body. 

Reaching out to the schools is just as important as reaching out to the squadrons, by giving younger Sabers the facts about how smoking affects their well-being. 

"While in my neighborhood alone I see a lot of teenage children smoking, so one of the only ways we can reach them is through visiting the schools," said Staff Sgt. Cordney Morehead, HAWC diet technician and tobacco facilitator. 

Family members, to include children, have use of the same quitting programs as the active-duty member, he said. 

One of the programs available is the Freshstart program, the Amercian Cancer Society's tobacco cessation program that consists of four in-person classes. Participants in the HAWC's Freshstart program meet 3 p.m. Tuesdays at the HAWC. For those who can't find the time to attend Freshstart, the HAWC recommends calling the 'Quit Line' (or American Lung Association Call Center), which provides information and assistance to quit tobacco. 

The cheering section for Sabers trying to quit tobacco is roaring with encouragement and reasoning. 

A quitter can "essentially become a better you - physically and mentally," said Sergeant Morehead. 

"Quitting increases energy and eases breathing. "Within 20 minutes after quitting tobacco, blood pressure drops; after eight hours, levels of carbon monoxide in the blood lower to normal levels; and after 24 hours, the chances of having a heart attack decrease. The longer you stay away from tobacco, the more your body will benefit." 

According to HAWC information sources: 
· Heart disease, sometimes caused by smoking, is the number-one cause of death in both men and women. 
· Five of the leading causes of death for men - heart attack, stroke, cancer, emphysema, and pneumonia - are from smoking. 
· Smoking can cause heart disease or stroke, increased blood pressure, increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and cancer or emphysema. 
· The more cigarettes you smoke and the more years you smoke, the riskier it is. 
· Women who smoke and take birth control pills have a greater chance of getting heart disease or having a stroke. 
· Pregnant women and mothers who smoke are more likely to have the baby too soon, miscarry, or have a baby with health and breathing problems. 

According to the Health and Wellness Center's data collected through various surveys, Spangdahlem has the highest percentage of tobacco users in U.S. Air Forces in Europe. While this has an effect on Sabers' overall well-being, it could also affect their physical training score. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking causes coronary heart disease and is the leading cause of death in the U.S.; cigarette smokers are two to four times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than non-smokers; cigarette smoking causes reduced circulation by narrowing the blood vessels; and smokers are more than 10 times as likely as non-smokers to develop peripheral vascular disease. 

"All these health issues will limit a person's ability to fully train the heart because of lung and heart damage caused by tobacco," said Jessica Griffith, HAWC exercise physiologist and fitness program manager. 

A separate, but related, issue was raised recently for residents living in base dormitories. 

The base dorm council asked residents in the dorms about smoking, and a majority revealed they would prefer a smoke-free environment inside. Because of this, Nov. 1 marked the first day of the smoking ban within dormitory walls. 

Smoking is no longer allowed in dormitories, to include individual rooms, laundry rooms, day rooms, game rooms, kitchens, and basements. It is also not allowed near common areas, walkways or stairwells. The buildings gazebo, or outdoor designated smoking area, is the only authorized location for smoking. 

"This is not just something that is going on during November," said Master Sgt. Sonja Martin, 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron NCO in charge of unaccompanied housing. "This is the new policy, and I think it's a good thing for the overall maintenance of the dorms and for residents' health." 

"Smoke in the dorms can leak into other rooms where there are non-smokers, and second-hand smoke is just as bad," Sergeant Morehead added. "So this smoking ban decreases the chances of you endangering your neighbor." 

While this may be a positive change for the health of dorm residents, it's possible that some dorm residents will greet the new policy with resistance, knowingly or not. 

If an Airman sees a fellow wingman disregarding the dorm smoking ban, "first, tell them about the new policy. If that doesn't work, contact the dorm manager who can report the incident to the person's first sergeant," Sergeant Martin said. 

For more information or to sign up for Freshstart or the tobacco facilitator class, call the HAWC at 452-7385. For assistance with tobacco cessation, call the Quit Line at -877-695-QUIT. If dialing from DSN, first dial 809-463-3376, wait for another dial tone and dial the Quit Line.