Don't Allow the Tobacco Industry to Kill You

Smoking cigarettes continues to be the biggest contributor to diseases that cause premature death. Again, it’s the largest contributor to diseases in our country. There is certainly an elevated risk for cancers [mostly of the lung, neck, tongue, larynx, esophagus, and bladder]. However, the majority of smokers die from cardiovascular disease. I’ll bet you didn’t read that on a package of cigarettes. And I bet you also didn’t read that on your cigarette pack that passive secondhand smoke elevates the cardiovascular disease risk by 25%.

Looking at the demographics, Americans with GED’s have a 40% smoking rate compared to 24% of high school graduates and 10% of college graduates. So go to school and maybe you’ll be smart enough not to smoke or die from a cardiovascular disease. Further, the highest rates of smoking in the United States are of Native Americans were 31% of American-Indians and native Alaskans smoke. The good news is that quitting smoking reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease to the level of non-smokers in 5 to 10 years.

The tobacco industry has gotten away with murder for so many years, even though they are now paying for ads talking about the risks of smoking. But apparently, Native Americans, and/or individuals with GED’s are either not getting the message, or simply continue to engage in self-destructive behavior. Does it matter if you’re enrolled in a good health plan with no pre-existing conditions for exclusion, if you continue to smoke? Is the tobacco industry doing enough to educate the public? Or maybe the tobacco industry could do more to help deal with this health crisis in our country?

For the educational part, perhaps the tobacco industry could be more involved in traditional educational programs as well with the educational programs of Native Americans. It seems to me that this industry is able to do more than provide TV commercial advertisements. That’s not to say that the major networks, religious institutions, government agencies, sports, music, entertainment celebrities, coaches etc. should be coordinated to provide a comprehensive program to reduce the effects of this deadly drug on our citizens.

If you see someone smoking, consider talking about the risks and enter a discussion of why that individual continues to smoke. I have heard excuses such as “it reduces my nerves” or “it helps me to control my appetite.” In weighing the pros and cons, there are certainly better ways to deal with stresses. I know at one time, it was considered cool or neat as something an elite individual would do to do. It was certainly glamorized in the movies though we see it less and less. Let’s start a campaign from the ground up and do our part.

If you want my advice, keep moving, laughing, smiling, bonding, loving and appreciating.