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8 Out of 10 Vermonters Do Not Smoke!
By Joanne Fedele Community Health Planner
North Country Health System
Most people think that most people smoke. The good news is that most people do not smoke! The latest research by the Vermont Department of Health shows that 8 out of 10 teens do not smoke. That means 80% of teens do not smoke! In addition, the use of tobacco by adults in Vermont has also decreased over the last year. The national rate of adult smokers is 23% and the rate in Vermont is below that, at 19.5%. This means that now, 8 out of 10 adults in Vermont do not smoke and Vermont has one of the lowest tobacco use rates in the US! This is news that’s worth celebrating!
What has been going on to make this happen? There are a number of efforts that have been in place for a few years to help lower the rate of tobacco use here in the Orleans Northern Essex area as well as across Vermont.
We have helped smokers make serious and successful attempts at quitting tobacco use:
- The Wellness Center at North Country Hospital offers a Quit Time Tobacco Cessation Course. David Ingram, Respiratory Care Manager at North Country Hospital, helps to facilitate the course. “Participants sign up to join others one evening a week for eight weeks,” states Ingram. “During the course, they plan the changes they need to make to successfully quit, set a quit date, and support each other as they go through their first few tobacco-free weeks.” “Nicotine replacement (NRT) such as the patch or gum is also available,” explains Linda Oliver, RN, who helps to facilitate Quit Time courses. “The NRT is helpful for most people,” states Oliver, “ but we find that the group support, discussion and sharing is most helpful for many of the participants.”
- For more information about Quit Time call the Wellness Center at 334-5566.
- The Vermont Department of Health supports a toll-free Quit Line for tobacco users who cannot or do not want to join a group cessation course. A call into the Quit Line means that someone will call you at your convenience up to five times to help you as you become tobacco-free. The Quit Line is staffed by people who work for the American Cancer Society and are trained to help others become tobacco free.
- The Quit Line number is 877-YES-QUIT.
- Quit Bucks are also available for those who do not have insurance or have VHAP or Medicare. Quit Bucks are coupons that are traded in for nicotine replacement (the patch, gum, or lozenge) at some participating pharmacies.
- For more information about Quit Bucks, call North Country Hospital’s Community Health Office at 334-3208.
We have also worked hard to prevent young people from starting to smoke. “Quitting is not easy, so the best decision is to be smart and not start!” states Amanda Harper, Coordinator for the Too Smart to Smoke Tobacco Prevention Campaign. “We need to get that message to all the students in this area, along with the message that most people do not smoke. Younger kids look up to teens and adults. If we let them know that most people don’t smoke, maybe they’ll be less likely to start.”
Too Smart to Smoke is one of many tobacco prevention efforts in this area. Sponsored by the Health & Traffic Safety Coalition for Orleans and Northern Essex Counties, Too Smart to Smoke is spearheaded by North Country Hospital. Amanda Harper works with youth to show them healthy lifestyle choices and to discourage tobacco use. “The focus for March is to show students that most people do not smoke – 8 out of 10 don’t smoke -- and there are many reasons why teens choose not to smoke.”
Here are some of the reasons that teens give for not smoking:
- They want to be healthy to play sports
- They want their family to be healthy so they don’t want secondhand smoke in the house
- They want to spend their money on things that are more interesting and fun like music or movies
- To them smoking is stinky and disgusting
- To them, smoking is a bad addiction
- Smoking makes you get wrinkles and yellow teeth
- Smoking gives you nasty breath, and no one wants to kiss a smoker
- Smoking is not cool
These are just some of the reasons that teens give for choosing not to smoke. For more real reasons why teens do not smoke, go to www.8outof10.com. Be smart….don’t start!
“HEALTHY YOU” is a weekly column prepared by health care providers and staff at North Country Hospital and Health System. Please call Winnie Jones, RN, Employee Health Nurse, 334-3263, for information or to suggest a topic for this column.
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