Campaign Has Smokers Listening to Smoking's Victims

[onehandle]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Rhiannon12866 (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Last edited Fri Nov 9, 2012, 09:02 AM - Edit history (2)

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

The public health initiative, known as Tips From Former Smokers, was launched by the CDC in March and ran until mid-June. A dozen or so ex-smokers offered very personal and often harrowing testimonials on the devastating health consequences that can result from years of tobacco use. Participants were featured in multiple 30-second televised public service announcements, radio commercials and web and print ads. Now, a post-campaign assessment of its impact on a target audience of 18- to 54-year-old smokers suggests that the effort did indeed boost awareness -- and perhaps even changed behavior.

No one is more pleased by, or proud of, such evidence of the campaign's success than participant and former smoker Terrie Hall. 'When they asked me to be a part of this campaign I had no idea of the impact that they would have,' Hall said. 'I had no idea of the overwhelming and unbelievable experience that I would have with it. I feel like the CDC really did an outstanding job of telling people what it's like if you smoke, and what can happen if you smoke.'

For this Lexington, N.C., resident, what happened was cancer. 'Everything that's happened to me has come from the fact that I smoked cigarettes,' Hall said. 'That means that every day I have to put in my teeth, I have to put in a talking device in my neck, I have to wear a wig. That's how I get ready for my day. I've had a lot of radiation, and I'm still going to chemotherapy. It's all taken quite a toll on me.'

Putting a face to smoking-related disability -- in a way that people can relate to -- was the campaign's goal. 'What we decided to do was essentially try to give the American people more of a real feeling of what's behind the statistics,' said Dr. Tim McAfee, director of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/health/HealthDay670098_20121108_Campaign_Has_Smokers_Listening_to_Smoking_s_Victims.html

[fasttense]

1. I quit in May

It wasn't because of the commercials. I had quit several times before (once for 2 years) so I knew I was going to quit. I just decided to do it in May around my birthday.

It has been 6 months now without a cigarette. I've gained 5 pounds but I don't smoke.

[tridim]

2. Congrats! I quit about 3 months ago.

Maybe 4 months, I've lost track because I don't even think about smoking any more. I just quit because smoking sucks so much.

I've gained 12 pounds so far, but I'm doing that on purpose.. Exercise helps the extra weight go to muscle growth instead of belly fat.

[joanbarnes]

3. That is one Brave woman.

[Skittles]

4. she is wonderful, and so very brave

my kind of gal

[Aristus]

5. Why the HELL are people still smoking???

Ask any medical provider what diseases he or she hates the most, and you will probably get the answer: "the preventable ones."

Nobody, but nobody has an excuse for continuing to smoke. Not even the oldest people. I've heard it said that "In my day, we didn't know it was bad for you!"

Bulls**t! You had radio back in your day, right? Ever hear a radio news report of a catastrophic fire somewhere? And the reporter is on the scene, trying to get the story?

"What killed them, Chief? Was it the flames?"

"No, it was smoke inhalation."


Every single damn DAY, I see the horrible effects of smoking upon the human body. And I'm sorry to say I'm running out of compassion for those suffering the most. Every time I see someone lugging around a canister, and he has a cannula up his nose, all I can think of is "Oh, now you want oxygen??? You could have had it for free all those years when you were voluntarily sucking in carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and every chemical lung irritant known to industrial science!"

People, please don't smoke. Don't do it.

All you DU-ers who smoke: I love you all. Please don't smoke...

[onehandle]

6. Nicotine is the most addictive drug in the world. nt

[ccavagnolo]

8. perhaps you were able to stay clean

from most drugs in your life. and i don't like putting my personal life out there, but from my experiences smoking was one of the easiest addictions to handle.

[FiveGoodMen]

15. Seems to vary from person to person

I had several friends who quit multiple mood-altering drugs (including alcohol) cold turkey and never looked back...

...but it took them forever to stop smoking.

[LanternWaste]

16. My own experience differs dramatically. It's the last, and the most difficult of the addictions to g

My own experience differs dramatically. It's the last, and the most difficult of the addictions to give up.

[Aristus]

9. Which is what I tell all of my patients who smoke.

I tell them more people go back to tobacco than go back to heroin. I tell them quitting will probably not be easy, but it will be easier than dying a lingering, agonizing death, clawing, scraping, and yearning for a lungful of fresh, clean air.

I KNOW how addictive nicotine is. I see addicts by the dozen every single day. The best way to avoid nicotine addiction?: Don't F*****g START!

Every time you light up, you're paying a billion-dollar multi-national corporation for the privilege of poisoning you to death...

[L0oniX]

7. Excellent! I hope they continue this.

Lives saved and money saved.

[GoldenOldie]

10. I am also a longtime member of this Spokeswoman's group

We are called Laryngectomee's.....surgical removal of the vocal cords. I also use the prosthetic speaking device (valve) which allows us to vocalize. This only one of the methods that is used and we are considered fortunate as many are unable to use it due to anatomy of the larynx and/or esphogus. Others may use an electronic device which is held to the throat and words are formed by the mouth.

I am one of the very few that have have survived this long....25yrs. The majority of my support group, lived just a few short years after surgery. Even with their limitations, we all chose to devote our time to speaking to school children beginning with 5th grade through highschool on the extrmeley dangerous elments contained within tobacco products. We even had one member, although not a smoker, became a laryngectomy thru the 2nd-hand smoke of her friends and family. I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to speak to groups for 12-years and we all felt that if each one of us was able to reach just 1-child, we accomplished something in our lives.

With the knowledge I learned about the tobacco industry, the list of carcinogenic chemicals used to addict the users and what these chemicals were actually used for in mining/industry/enbalming, etc., then to top it off for them actually seeing the hole in the neck, the disfigurement of the body totally amazed these kids and left them asking really intelligent questions. I recommend anyone interested in educating our youth or even adults to check into a Laryngectomy Support group within your area if they have speakers available. If not, ask if any of their members are open to speaking about their experiences of using tobacco (which includes chewing tobacco), what they learned about tobacco and how has it changed their lives. It does take courage to speak and try to educate others, but it also gives a face to the devastation tobacco creates.

[Nika]

11. My Mom died of cancer after being a two pack a day smoker all her life.

She died shortly after retiring at age 67. It was quite the shame she had to die so young this way, victim of an addiction to a product sold by drug pimps.

[Mosby]

12. instead of wasting money on scare tactics

Why doesn't the government ensure that proven smoking secession strategies like NRTs are free or highly subsidized?

[JNelson6563]

13. As well as crack down on the industry!

They shouldn't be allowed to put all the extra bad shit in there.

Julie

[Mosby]

14. I thought that big lawsuit win for the gov meant that they could regulate content?

Some of the additives might be OK (like sugar, licorice) but how about stopping the cig manufacturers from freebasing the nicotine?

What a lot of oldtimer ex-smokers don't understand is that since the late 80s manufacturers started freebasing nicotine to increase the "high" and make it much harder to quit.

[LanternWaste]

17. I often wonder why a cigarette has salt-peter, ammonia and formaldehyde in it

I often wonder why a cigarette has salt-peter, ammonia and formaldehyde in it. I was once told it's to enhance taste, but that seems almost counter-intuitive...

[Rhiannon12866]

18. Locking, sorry, this is not late breaking, analysis of a program that ended earlier this year.