Tobacco

Cigarette smoking kills more than 480,000 Americans each year, with more than 41,000 of these deaths from exposure to secondhand smoke.1 American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) have a higher prevalence of current smoking than most other racial/ethnic groups in the United States.2

The primary diseases caused by smoking are:

• Heart Attack
• Stroke
• Emphysema
• COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
• Cancer – Lung, Throat, Uterine, Stomach, Bladder (According to the U.S. Surgeon General tobacco use is a causal effect for all cancers.)

The Benefits of Quitting Smoking

People who stop smoking greatly reduce their risk for disease and early death. Although the health benefits are greater for people who stop at earlier ages, there are benefits at any age. You are never too old to quit.

PTHA Smoking Cessation Program

PTHA offers a one-on-one personalized program to help people quit smoking, vaping and chewing tobacco.

Nicotine, the addictive ingredient in tobacco products, can cause people to have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, like being irritable, when they quit. The “Quit Tobacco” helps participants minimize withdrawal symptoms and helps them develop new skills for living life without smoking, vaping or chewing tobacco. Making an appointment is the first step to quitting.

Cessation Medications

Nicotine Patches, Nicotine Gum, and Nicotine Lozenges (NRT) provide nicotine while you work on the behavior part of tobacco use addiction. Bupropion is an anti-depressant used to help people quit smoking. It helps curb the desire and is usually used with NRT. Chantix is a medication to help curb the desire to smoke and is used without NRT.

To make an appointment for PTHA’s Smoking/Vaping Cessation, call (253) 593-0232.

Other Tobacco Products

Chew and Snuff are NOT safe alternatives to smoking. They can cause:

• Tooth decay
• Gum disease
• Heart disease
• Mouth cancer
• Throat cancer
• Stomach cancer

If you chew or use snuff, be sure to tell your doctor and your dentist so they can check your lips and gums for early warning signs of cancer. There is no such thing as a safe smoke. Cigars, pipes, bidis, cloves and herbal cigarettes cause the same diseases as cigarettes. Vaping/E-Cigarettes are also not a healthy alternative as they are relatively new and are still being evaluated.

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
2. Jamal A, Phillips E, Gentzke AS, et al. Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults—United States, 2016. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2018;67:53-59. DOI: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6702a1.htm [accessed 2018 Jan 30].