“It started out as an experiment.  It was supposed to be fun…something to make me feel part of the group.  I never planned to get addicted.”---15 year old student about using tobacco. 

No one ever planned to become addicted.  Our parents certainly didn’t plan to be hooked to a drug that would rob them of tens of thousands of dollars over a lifetime and probably stole their health as well.  They didn’t know what they didn’t know.  I forgive my parents.  They didn’t know.  I remember my mom telling me that if I started using tobacco that I wouldn’t be able to stop.  I remember thinking that I’d be able to stop anytime I wanted.  I was 16 when she gave me permission to smoke and I was a slave to tobacco until I was 40.  She was right. If only I’d listened. 

We know that nicotine is more addictive than any other substance including cocaine and heroin and kills more people than any other preventable cause of death, i.e. car wrecks, drug overdose, murder and suicide COMBINED. That’s right….over 400 thousand people die each year from illness related to tobacco use. That’s comparable to 3 jumbo jet crashes each day. 

I hear all too often that parents are giving permission to smoke to their teens because, “at least it’s not a drug”.   Giving a young adult permission to use tobacco is probably the single most dangerous decision a parent can make.  One out of every three young people that becomes addicted to tobacco will die prematurely from a tobacco related illness. That’s one third.  It’s not a pretty statistic, is it?

If your student is using tobacco, you can help them turn it around.  We sponsor a program called Smokeless Saturday every other month at Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene.  It’s a three-hour program that examines nicotine as an addictive drug, the cost of smoking, the health risks of using tobacco and the tools for quitting.  Most of the participants leave with a better understanding of addiction and feel equipped to make a change when they are ready.  Most students who attend have been court ordered, but anyone can refer a teen to the program.  There’s also a school-based program called N-O-(Not on Tobacco). Students should see Mrs. Davenport if they’re interested in signing up.

Most importantly, you need to open the door for discussion.  Be honest.  If you’re a tobacco-using parent, you may feel uncomfortable saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” But, parents have the right and an obligation to set limits for the family.   There are laws that make it a little easier to set these limits, by the way.  Just like there are underage drinking laws there are laws that prohibit youth access to tobacco as well. (RSA 126-K: 1-14)

If you or someone in your family needs help with quitting tobacco, call me at Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene at 354-5454, extension 2306. I’m a full-time tobacco cessation coordinator who provides one-on-one tobacco cessation counseling and support. I can even make house calls.   Quitting tobacco isn’t easy, but it’s possible!  You may want to visit your family physician to discuss medications or nicotine replacement therapies. We also have on-going tobacco cessation classes and support groups available.