Nov.19 marks the 39th anniversary of the American Cancer Society Great American Smoke-out.

Columbus Air Force Base Health Promotion will celebrate by distributing “quit kits” to tobacco users who challenge themselves to give up their tobacco for 24 hours.

While efforts on that day will be geared at encouraging cessation, resources will be provided to encourage tobacco users to quit for lifetime. The overall goal is to promote healthy lifestyle through health, fitness and disease prevention.

There is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke. Any exposure to tobacco smoke, even an occasional cigarette or exposure to secondhand smoke, is harmful.

• You don’t have to be a heavy smoker or a long-time smoker to get a smoking-related disease or have a heart attack or asthma attack that is triggered by tobacco smoke.
• Low levels of smoke exposure, including exposures to secondhand tobacco smoke, lead to a rapid and sharp increase in dysfunction and inflammation of the lining of the blood vessels, which are implicated in heart attacks and stroke.

Damage from tobacco smoke is immediate.

• The chemicals in tobacco smoke reach your lungs quickly every time you inhale. Your blood then carries the toxicants to every organ in your body.
• The chemicals and toxicants in tobacco smoke damage DNA, which can lead to cancer. Nearly one-third of all cancer deaths every year are directly linked to smoking. Smoking causes about 85 percent of lung cancers in the U.S.
• Exposure to tobacco smoke quickly damages blood vessels throughout the body and makes blood more likely to clot.
• The chemicals in tobacco smoke inflame the delicate lining of the lungs and can cause permanent damage that reduces the ability of the lungs to exchange air efficiently and leads to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Smoking longer means more damage.

• Both the risk and the severity of many diseases caused by smoking are directly related to how long the smoker has smoked and the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
• Chemicals in tobacco smoke cause inflammation and cell damage, and can weaken the immune system. The body makes white blood cells to respond to injuries, infections, and cancers. White blood cell counts stay high while smoking continues, meaning the body is constantly fighting against the damage caused by smoking which can lead to disease in almost any part of the body.
• Smoking can cause cancer and weaken your body’s ability to fight cancer. With any cancer, even those not related to tobacco, use smoking to decrease the benefits of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. Exposure to tobacco smoke can help tumors grow.
• The chemicals in tobacco smoke complicate the regulation of blood sugar levels, exacerbating the health issues resulting from diabetes. Smokers with diabetes have a higher risk of heart and kidney disease, amputation, eye disease causing blindness, nerve damage and poor circulation.

Cigarettes are designed for addiction.

• The design and contents of tobacco products make them more attractive and addictive than ever before. Cigarettes today deliver nicotine more quickly from the lungs to the heart and brain.
• While nicotine is the key chemical compound that causes and sustains the powerful addicting effects of cigarettes, other ingredients and design features make them even more attractive and more addictive.

There is no safe cigarette.

• The evidence indicates that changing cigarette designs over the last five decades, including filtered, low-tar, and “light” variations, have NOT reduced overall disease risk among smokers and may have hindered prevention and cessation efforts.
• There isn’t enough evidence yet to say whether e-cigarettes are safe or effective for helping people quit smoking

The only proven strategy for reducing the risk of tobacco-related disease and death is to never smoke, and if you do smoke to quit.

• Quitting at any age and at any time is beneficial. It's never too late to quit, but the sooner the better.
• Quitting gives your body a chance to heal the damage caused by smoking.

In addition to these negative health effects, research shows that smoking affects physical fitness, a key factor in military fitness, Compared to non-smokers, smokers have lower physical endurance. 

Cessation options are available to active duty, dependents, civilian employees, and retirees to aid in cessation efforts:

Quit Lines and more:

Tricare Quit Line: 1-877-414-9949  

State of Mississippi Quit Line: 1-800-QUITNOW

American Lung Association: 1-877-LUNGUSA

Freedom Smoking 1-844-IAMFREE

Web: Ucanquit2.org  or  www.quitnow.net/

Apps: QuitSTART, NCI QuitPal and Smokefree QuitGuide

In person: Columbus AFB Tobacco Cessation Facilitator: 662-434-1688