Posted: 11/15/2021
Great American Smokeout event is Nov. 18
The COVID-19 pandemic drastically affected our lives and sent stress levels soaring. Amid the anxiety, grief, and worry, many had to figure out new ways to cope with the pandemic lockdowns in 2020. For some, that meant taking on a new hobby but unfortunately for others, stress and isolation led them to pick up or resume bad habits like smoking.
“I started smoking at a very young age, but I decided to quit in 2009. I was tobacco-free since then but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I had the urge to smoke again,” said Steve Mowery, 59, of Dallas, a patient at Parkland Health & Hospital System.” The pandemic kept me stuck at home worried, stressed, and I couldn’t do anything.”
Mowery knew lighting up a cigarette would not release the stress but would negatively affect his health as he’s currently living with one lung.
“I lost the other lung due to smoking. If it wasn’t for my doctor, my wife, and Parkland’s smoking cessation clinic, I would’ve died,” said Mowery. “That’s why I decided to ask for help before returning to my bad habit.”
According to a new report from the Federal Trade Commission, cigarette sales increased in 2020 for the first time in 20 years. The number of cigarettes that the largest tobacco companies in the United States sold to wholesalers and retailers nationwide increased from 202.9 billion in 2019 to 203.7 billion in 2020. Smokeless tobacco sales increased from 126.0 million pounds in 2019 to 126.9 million pounds in 2020. This has Parkland experts concerned after smoking was steadily declining for decades.
“Unfortunately, stress is a major trigger for smoking and relapse is a big problem,” said David Balis, MD, medical director of Parkland’s Smoking Cessation Clinic and professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “Relapse often happens with stress or exposure to cigarettes. Patients must learn a new healthy way to deal with it. Take deep breaths, go for walk, talk it out, and find real solutions to the problem.”
Dr. Balis said smoking cessation programs like Parkland’s can increase the likelihood of kicking the habit for good by providing clinically proven techniques, medications and group support.
About 34 million American adults still smoke cigarettes, and smoking remains the single largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world, according to the American Cancer Society. Smoking causes an estimated 480,000 deaths every year, or about 1 in 5 deaths. For more than 40 years, the American Cancer Society has hosted the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November. The event is an opportunity to challenge people to stop smoking while also learning about the many tools available to help them quit.
Parkland recently extended its Smoking Cessation clinic to 5 days a week for both inpatient and outpatient programs. Patients receive behavioral group counseling, meet with health care professionals individually and receive medication to help stop smoking.
“Now more than ever it’s important to decide to quit smoking. Smoking will only increase the chances of having complications if infected with COVID-19,” said Dr. Balis. “It doesn’t matter how old you are or how long you’ve been smoking, but the moment you quit, you’ll be making an improvement to your health immediately and in the long term.”
According to Dr. Balis, the vast majority of lung cancer cases are related to smoking. People who smoke cigarettes are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke.
To reduce lung cancer mortality, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued new guidelines for who should get screened for lung cancer. The agency recommends yearly lung cancer screening with CT scan for people who:
• Have a 20 pack-year or more smoking history, and
• Smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years, and
• Are between 50 and 80 years old
A pack-year is defined as smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year. For example, a person could have a 20 pack-year history by smoking one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years.
“We encourage everyone to put the cigarette down and enroll in our smoking cessation program,” said Dr. Balis. “We will order a CT scan to screen for lung cancer as well as provide the support needed to quit tobacco use for good. It will take commitment but we’re here to guide you to a tobacco-free life.”
“If you quit smoking you breathe better and don’t have to worry about developing lung cancer,” said Mowery. “Quitting was the best thing I did. I encourage everyone to do the same.”
Individuals who are ready to be tobacco-free can make an appointment with Parkland’s Smoking Cessation Clinic by calling 214-590-5691 or 214-590-5603.