Eielson residents can kick butt, have healthy lungs

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nora Anton
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Did you know that as of May 31, 30 percent of Eielson residents smoke cigarettes? That's higher than the averages of Pacific Air Forces, the Air Force and the nation.

Luckily, Icemen have a way out--a program the Health and Wellness Center offers, which has an 18-percent success rate--and climbing.

"The smoking cessation class is a three-class program developed by the American Cancer Society," said Jenni Osborne, 354th Medical Operations Squadron health education program manager.

Ms. Osborne said the class is designed to help smokers quit by providing participants with all of the essential information and strategies needed to direct their own efforts with quitting.

Once enrolled, the smoker will take three classes, each an hour in length and once a week for three weeks, they will learn the harmful effects of smoking, receive a prescription to help curb nicotine cravings, and council with peers.

"The average spit tobacco for the Air Force is 4.4 percent," said Ms. Osborne. "...but Eielson has the dubious honor of doubling that statistic, making us the top Air Force base for spit tobacco--Southern states come in second to us."

Cigarette smoking kills nearly 430,000 people a year, making it more lethal than AIDS, automobile accidents, homicides, suicides, drug overdoses and fires combined. Smoking reduces one's life expectancy by 15 to 25 years and is the single most preventable cause of death, according to a 2001 report on smoking. The effects of cigarette smoke are not limited to lungs, but affect every part of the human body and its functions negatively.

In addition to Eielson's recognition of smoking as a problem, many other bases are taking steps to reduce smoking-related illnesses.

"Many Air Force bases around the world are making more facilities tobacco free," said Ms. Osborne. "Some even have a 'no tobacco in uniform' policy--but it's not restricted to just smoking, it means all tobacco."