The Great American Smokeout 2007

November 15th, 2007

Filed under: Medicine

It’s the third Thursday in November, which means that it is once again time for the Great American Smokeout — or “The Great American Health Challenge” as the American Cancer Society seems to be calling it this year (warning: Flash-based site). Was the term “smokeout” felt to be too negative?

I encourage everyone who smokes to quit, for both their health and their pocket book. The “right to smoke” may or may not exist, and frankly, I have no interest in entering that debate. What does concern me are the increasing number of patients I’ve diagnosed with lung cancer and emphysema, the smokers who have an inordinately high rate of heart attacks and strokes, and the younger smokers who come in several times a year for recurrent bronchitis and sinusitis. There are newer and better treatment options available now, so I recommend talking to your doctor when you’re ready to quit.

Great American SmokeoutGreat American Smokeout

I’ve decided not to pick on the pregnant woman this year (if you don’t know what I’m referring too, check out last year’s post), instead I’ll post this panel from the PSA Comic Spider-Man, Power-Man and Storm battle Smoke Screen. The prices are dated, but the point is still valid.

How Much?

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5 Responses to “ The Great American Smokeout 2007 ”

  1. Lurker
    November 15th, 2007 at 4:38 pm

    Random question: How do you get cervix cancer from smoking?

  2. Jay
    November 15th, 2007 at 8:23 pm

    Prolonged chemical exposure probably.

  3. Lurker
    November 15th, 2007 at 8:38 pm

    Maybe, but it’s at exactly the wrong end of the body to be exposed to cigarette smoke, which is what made me wonder. Scott, do you know the reason that chart draws a correlation between smoking and cervix cancer?

  4. Carol D
    November 15th, 2007 at 9:39 pm

    In trying to keep kids from starting to smoke, lately I’ve been asking them why not; they routinely answer “it can cause cancer”. I really think Big Tobacco is writing DARE’s material– teenagers are immortal and cancer happens to other people, as everyone can point to old smokers without lung cancer. I tell them “It makes your breath and hair stink, stains your teeth and fingers, burns holes in your clothes, ages the skin of your face, and wastes money you could spend on _____ (fill in the blank)… THAT’S why not!

  5. Scott
    November 16th, 2007 at 1:38 am
    Official Comment

    Lurker,

    Good question.
    It has been noted in multiple studies that smokers have a statistically significant increase in cervical cancers over non-smokers. Second-hand smoke appears to be a risk as well. There is no clearly understood mechanism to explain this increase, and there may be some confounding factors (sexual habits, for example), but even studies that controlled for these factors showed higher rates of cervical cancer in smokers. (Cervical cancer is not the only one — you’ll notice that many of the cancers related to smoking are in organs that have no contact with smoke.)

    Here’s an older CNN report on cervical cancer and smoking, and a newer New York Times one.

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