By Cindy Glasford
Quitline Iowa is receiving an increasing amount of calls from Iowans that want help in their quest to stop smoking. Between July 1 and Sept. 30, there were 71 calls from Wapello, 41 from Mahaska, 60 from Appanoose and nine from Davis County. They also have a fax referral system for health care providers to use and Wapello had seven referrals, Mahaska had one, and Appanoose had four.
Smoking is very addictive. There are several aspects to their addiction, it is called the Three-Link Chain of Addiction. Smokers are physically hooked on the chemical nicotine in cigarettes. Smokers also have a mental habit of smoking. They smoke at the same time and place daily, forming a habit.
The third link is the social link. Teenagers often smoke to fit in with a group, and social groups form when the same people regularly go outside to smoke during breaks.
When smokers address all three of these aspects, they have a better chance at long term success. During this holiday season please be sure to ask smokers to go outside to smoke. Cigarette butts will smolder for hours, between cushions in a couch, long after the guest have left. Eighty-seven percent of all fire deaths are the result of a fire caused by a cigarette, not put out properly.
