Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Every year about 440,000 people die from causes related to tobacco use. In Lancaster County, nearly 21 percent of our population smokes (Behavioral Risk Factors for Pennsylvania Adults, 1996-2000), which means close to one in five people use tobacco.

Lancaster General is concerned about how this highly addictive habit affects the health of our community and is actively pursuing strategies to help smokers quit and to encourage young people not to start.

According to the American Cancer Society, a majority of smokers (70 percent) want to quit and close to 35 percent try each year.

Lancaster General is doing what it can to help people struggling with this addiction. As one of the founders of the Tobacco-Free Coalition of Lancaster County, Lancaster General provides leadership by offering various programs to help people at all stages of life.

Since 2002, Lancaster General educators have offered LifeSkills in 17 local public and  private school districts. LifeSkills, a Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) best practice program, teaches children in third through eighth grades how to resist tobacco, alcohol and drugs. While most smoking-related health problems develop in adults, the CDC estimates that nearly 80 percent of smokers started as teenagers.

“Our LifeSkills educators help children build their self-esteem and make positive choices by teaching them the skills to say no and resist peer pressure,” explains Ethel Wander, RN, LifeSkills Coordinator.

Programs like LifeSkills seem to be having a positive effect. According to the CDC, the number of high school students who currently smoke cigarettes has decreased.

Another Lancaster General program that is making strides is Freedom from Smoking. This six-week program is offered several times throughout the year and provides support and education for adults who want to stop smoking.

“Participants say they learn a lot from their peers during the classes. They appreciate each others’ support because they’re all going through the same experiences,” says Cathy Newkirk, RN,  Wellness Educator.

Wellness Center educators can also bring Freedom from Smoking to businesses and organizations that want to provide in-house support for employees who are trying to kick the habit. To make it more convenient, some companies offer the program during lunch breaks or immediately after work.

Beyond working with local businesses, Lancaster General is partnering with dentists’ and doctors’ offices through the Clean Air program. We show physician offices how to follow a strategic approach to counsel smokers to quit.

“Studies show that when doctors talk to their patients about smoking, patients are likely to take their doctors’ advice seriously,” says Alice Yoder, RN, Director of Community Health. “The key is for doctors to encourage patients to quit smoking at every opportunity—not just once.”

As another way to help the local community, this past fall Lancaster General Hospital and Lancaster General Women & Babies Hospital started offering one-to-one counseling with patients who want to quit smoking.

Whatever method a smoker uses to try and quit, the key is to be patient. Very few people quit on their first try.

“Most people try quitting seven times before they succeed. But each day without smoking starts to dramatically improve a person’s health. After a person has been smoke-free for six months or more, the chances of remaining a non-smoker increase,” Cathy says.

Adding to the difficulty of quitting is the fear many people have about gaining weight when they stop smoking.

“Think positive,” Alice says. “When you quit, you may find it helps to start a new healthy habit, such as a walking or exercise program.”

Take action today:

• For a free brochure on the Freedom From Smoking program or to ask about bringing it your business, call 544-3138.
• If you would like to bring the LifeSkills program to your school, call 544-3284.
• For a free guide to smoke-free restaurants in the area, call 544-3223.
• To talk to someone immediately, call the Pennsylvania free quitline at 1-877-724-1090. 

The Benefits of Quitting

• Within 20 minutes after smoking that last cigarette, your body begins a series of changes that continue for years.
• 20 minutes after quitting Your heart rate drops.
• 12 hours after quitting The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
• 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting Your heart attack risk begins to drop. Your lung function beings to improve.
• 1 to 9 months after quitting Your coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
• 1 year after quitting Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.
• 5 to 15 years after quitting Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker’s.
• 10 years after quitting Your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker’s. Your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decrease.
• 15 years after quitting Your risk of coronary heart disease is back to that of a non-smoker’s.