On November 11 Amy Lazev, a Fox Chase Cancer
researcher, visited Bucks to inform students about the dangers and real truth
about smoking. She discussed the deathly diseases that smoking causes and
statistics about how many people smoke and why.
After receiving complaints about students smoking and blocking the doorways at
Bucks the deans asked student life to take a closer look and see what they can
do. So, Amy Lazev came to Bucks and spoke to the students in the Library
Auditorium at 11:00 a.m. to talk about the hazards of smoking. Hoping to
reach-out to some smokers to quit.
She began the discussion with the statement, "Tobacco is the leading cause of
deaths including 440,000 deaths a year." That certainly caught the attention of
the audience and ears listened in as she went on to speak about how many people
smoke. She mentioned that each year 45,000 people take on the habit of smoking.
Today, 46.5 million adults smoke, over a quarter of high school kids smoke,
28.5% of college students smoke, 27% of adults with diplomas smoke and 13% of
under graduate adults smoke.
Amy then pointed out to the women in the room stating, "Many women think that
breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women, however lung cancer
actually is the leading cause." Along with lung cancer some other diseases
caused from smoking include: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, kidney diseases,
aids, aging a lot quicker, blatter and cervical cancer, as well as parts of the
body can turn green because smoking ruins the circulation. A man smoked for so
many years he got lung cancer and had to have surgery to get his larynx removed
and replaced with a tracheotomy tube placed in his neck and yet he still smokes
out of the tube. Sigmund Freud over went 30 surgeries with his jaw from smoking
and almost got his whole jaw removed.
Knowing all the diseases and health problems associated with smoking, Amy raised
the question why do people even start? Well, in the 1960's smoking was said to
not be harmful and did not irritate the throat. Adults who have started back
then believed it would not harm them and are now far too addicted to just stop.
Also smoking is all over the movies, actor and actresses promote that cigarettes
make them feel "happy." Kids see this and want to start smoking to feel "happy"
and "cool" too. Becky Klein of Warminster and student at Bucks liberal arts
major 19 years of age, stated after being asked why she started smoking, "I
thought it would be the 'cool' thing to do plus I wanted to know what it was all
about." When asked if she ever tried to quit she responded with, "I have tried a
few times. I even bought the patches and other crap, I did quit for maybe a week
or two but went right back."
Advertisers for cigarettes spend 11.2 billion dollars a year that's 30.7 million
dollars a day on advertising for their cigarettes. They know how to pull kids
in. The attractive Marlboro man seen in the commercials died himself from
smoking. Another reason why many kids start smoking is because with their first
cigarette they get a certain "high" that they like and want to keep. But then
increased amounts are needed to achieve that desired "high" effect, causing them
to get addicted.
Nicotine is the chemical in cigarettes that causes the addiction, however, there
are 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes 400 of which are toxic and 43-cause cancer.
Arsenic, mothballs, and toilet bowl cleaner just to name a few are all chemicals
found in one cigarette. It is these chemicals that cause the health problems and
deaths of smokers not the nicotine. Kristin Kelly of Doylestown another student
at Bucks liberal arts major 18 years of age and a smoker, when confronted with
the fact that there are all these other chemicals in cigarettes she said, "I had
no idea I was smoking toilet bowl cleaner, that just gross. I've tried to quite
many times though and was unsuccessful but I really do want to." About 90% of
smokers are addicted and only 10% are not addicted. Of the addicted smokers 70%
want to quit, 40% made an attempt, and only about 2.5% actually do quit, so
Kristin is not alone.
There are products out on the market today that can help smokers quit such as
the Nicotine Patch found safe by the FDA also Zibane is another product out to
help. Amy stated, "Zibane is slightly more expensive then other products but it
works and you spend a lot of money on cigarettes every month anyway. It is about
the equivalent of a carton of cigarettes." There is a quit line you can call
1-877-724-1090 that will help while trying to quit. There are many websites
available www.cancercontrol.cancer.gov is one to explore and learn more about
smoking and quitting. Also they have palm pilots out that can help you. People
often associated things with other things, so if you always smoked while you
drank your coffee, then coffee will make you want a cigarette. However, the palm
pilot goes off at different times so you are not smoking at the same times you
were before and associating the cigarettes to anything. Then eventually, you can
quite all together. All these products are available and help you quit but
according to Amy, "The best way to quit is just to go cold turkey."
The discussion ended with eager students asking questions to hear the truth
about cigarettes. Amy was glade to explain in more depth what she discussed
earlier and show some gruesome pictures of lungs and hearts infected by smoke.
At the end of the event Matt Simon mentioned that on November 18 there will be
another discussion held at Bucks to inform smokers about blocking the doorways
and try to help them quit. John Cassidy will be talking and cold turkey
sandwiches will be served. Want to quit that smoking habit you picked up? Be
around on the 18th of November.