The CDC doesn’t take much more on smoking.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched the 2024 edition of its federally funded national tobacco education campaign to help more people. quit smoking — with a special focus on menthol cigarettes.
Dr. Rama Bazzi, a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, said, “The CDC’s Tips Campaign is designed to raise awareness of smoking cessation among people with high rates of smoking and poor health conditions, including people living with mental illness.” “It’s aimed at increasing intervention,” he told FOX. News Digital.
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”[The program] Our reliance on testimonials from people in our target communities makes our content relatable and increases uptake of the free resources available in our campaigns,” added Bazzi, who is not affiliated with the CDC. .
The CDC campaign, first launched in 2012, features stories and tips from ex-smokers who have truly kicked the bad habit.
CDC has launched the 2024 edition of its federally funded national tobacco education campaign to help more people quit smoking. (St. Petersburg)
dangers of smoking
cigarette smoking The CDC noted in a recent press release that it remains the leading cause of preventable illness, disability, and death in the United States.
“Addictive drugs alter mood and are often taken compulsively, despite the underlying illness,” says Lori Curran, MD, professor of internal medicine and preventive medicine at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California. he told FOX News Digital.
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“Nicotine is psychoactive in that it is stimulating, relaxing, pleasurable, and helpful.” [in reducing] stress and anxiety — especially when it prevents its own withdrawal,” added Curran, a national expert in addiction medicine.
It’s not nicotine that causes cancer, but rather the chemicals in cigarettes. Heart disease And there’s lung disease, she said.
The CDC campaign, launched in 2012, features stories and tips from former smokers who have kicked the habit. (St. Petersburg)
According to the CDC, menthol cigarettes pose a higher health risk than regular cigarettes.
Menthol is a chemical that occurs naturally in plants such as peppermint, but it can also be produced in the lab.
Almost all cigarettes sold in the United States contain some level of menthol, but cigarettes especially those sold as “menthol” typically contain more of the chemical.
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“Menthol is an anesthetic,” Curran says. The cooling sensation makes it easier to inhale deeper.
Because menthol interacts with nicotine to potentiate it, people who use menthol cigarettes are more likely to accumulate toxins in their bodies. farthest part of the lungsthe doctor warned.
Menthol smokers are also more likely to continue smoking, which puts them at higher risk of developing tobacco-related diseases, he said.
Experts say menthol smokers are more likely to continue smoking, which puts them at higher risk of developing tobacco-related diseases. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
The CDC noted in a press release that people who smoke menthol cigarettes may have a harder time successfully quitting than those who smoke non-menthol cigarettes.
In 2021, sales of menthol-flavored cigarettes reached 37% of all cigarette sales in the United States, the highest share since 1963, according to the CDC website.
True story of a former smoker
In a new series of articles, the CDC focuses on Ethan B., 59, who started smoking cigarettes at age 10 and later started smoking menthol cigarettes after joining the Army at age 18.
“I wanted to look cool and be cool,” he told the CDC. “Every sign said it was cool.”
Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States
Since quitting smoking in 2020, Ethan B. said he has come to realize that the cigarette ads that appealed to him as a child were misleading. (The CDC did not release the participants’ last names.)
The CDC also featured Elizabeth B., 62, who started smoking menthol cigarettes at age 18.
She was later diagnosed with smoking related peripheral artery disease (pad).
Experts say quitting smoking for good often takes several attempts and the right combination of medications, nicotine replacement therapy, and counseling. (St. Petersburg)
(PAD is a blockage in the arteries that supply blood to the legs, making it difficult to walk without pain or cramping.)
“If I hadn’t had that first cigarette, I might not have lit the PAD fuse,” she told the CDC. “My goal is to make sure other young people never start smoking.”
Tips for breaking the habit
The CDC recommends creating a personal smoking cessation plan. The first step is to choose an end date.
By that date, the agency said, it will ensure all tobacco products, including lighters, matches and ashtrays, have been removed from homes, cars and workplaces.
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It’s also important to be aware of common triggers that cause people to light a cigarette.
“In the first few weeks after quitting, try to avoid situations where you are tempted to smoke or have access to cigarettes,” the CDC advises on its website.
Because of this, people may need to avoid friends and colleagues when smoking.
You also need to find ways to distract yourself when you feel the urge to lighten up.
According to the CDC, it’s important to be aware of common triggers for lighting a cigarette. (St. Petersburg)
The agency recommends that before quitting smoking, make a list of activities that may be effective alternatives to smoking.
Examples include listening to your favorite music, going for a walk, playing a video game, or simply watching a funny video on your phone.
When you feel the urge to light a cigarette, another idea is to find a substitute, such as a toothpick, straw, or cinnamon stick, that won’t cover your mouth and hands.
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Officials noted that quitting is not easy and there may be times when you feel like smoking.
For most people, the urge goes away within a few minutes and gets weaker over time, according to the CDC.
medicine to help quit smoking
For some people, medication may help reduce the urge to smoke.
“People who are thinking of quitting should seek advice.” medical worker; medical institution “Don’t give up,” Batsi said of drugs that can help people quit smoking.
It often takes several attempts and the right combination of medications, nicotine replacement therapy, and medications. counseling To successfully quit smoking for good, she said,
The CDC recommends making a list of activities that might be effective instead of smoking, such as going for a refreshing walk outdoors. (St. Petersburg)
One example is John B., 61, one of the CDC’s most notable non-smokers. He smoked his first cigarette at the age of eight.
He tried various methods to quit smoking, including acupuncture, hypnosis, and “cold turkey,” but was unable to go a full day without smoking.
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He found a doctor who sympathized with his suffering. The doctor had stopped smoking himself.
The doctor prescribed two types of smoking cessation medication, including a nicotine inhaler, and recommended counseling.
At age 38, John B. was finally able to quit smoking completely.
“People who are trying to quit smoking should talk to their health care provider about medications that can help them quit,” the doctor said. (St. Petersburg)
According to the CDC, a combination of drugs is often most effective.
The most common combination is nicotine patchprovides a steady level of nicotine to the body and uses either nicotine lozenges or nicotine gum for fast-acting relief during cravings.
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You can also call our toll-free hotline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW to speak with a smoking cessation coach confidentially and without judgment.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the CDC for additional comment on the tips campaign.
For more health articles, visit: www.foxnews.com/health.
