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Health Promotions Staff encourages Team Scott to quit using tobacco

  • Published
  • By Greg Pavelka
  • 375th Medical Group Health Promotion
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  The Great American Spit Out is a campaign to have military members and their families not use smokeless tobacco for one day, and Team Scott was encouraged to forgo using these types of products Feb. 18.

While the campaign is focused on a particular day, Team Scott is encouraged to quit using tobacco every day.

The Great American Spit Out is an educational campaign run by UCanQuit2.org. This tobacco cessation website is sponsored by the Department of Defense. Launched in February 2007, its mission is "to help U.S. service members quit tobacco--for themselves and for the people they love."

Many people know that nicotine is the main addictive chemical that is in the different forms of tobacco. It is not a common known fact that the nicotine levels in smokeless forms of tobacco can be three times as high as other forms. Due to the higher levels of nicotine in smokeless tobacco this creates an even more intense addiction.

The addiction issue is not the only concern when it comes to smokeless tobacco, there is also a large risk of children becoming poisoned from accidental consumption due to chew containers and spit bottles left out where children can access them. The statistics are very real and 90 percent involve children ages six and under; 70 percent involve children less than 1 year of age. It takes as little as 1 milligram of nicotine ingested by a child to induce symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

Smokeless tobacco also has a multitude of detrimental health effects upon the user. Smokeless tobacco has 28 known cancer-causing agents. Smokeless forms of tobacco cause different types of cancer than smoked tobacco. These cancers include oral, pancreatic, and esophageal cancer.

Oral cancer has a 50 percent five year survival rate and smokeless tobacco users have an 80 percent greater chance of contracting oral cancer. Additional risks caused by using smokeless tobacco include gum and tooth decay, mouth lesions, and nicotine dependence.

Tobacco Cessation orientation classes are offered at 11 a.m. the first and third Monday of the month in the 375th MDG on the first floor Health Promotion office, in collaboration with the Scott Pharmacy.

Registration is not required to attend the orientation classes. The Health Promotion office is here to help you reach your goal of becoming tobacco free. Please contact the office at 256-7139 for further information in regards to tobacco cessation as well as any of your nutrition and fitness needs.

For additional information, please visit: www.tobaccofreekids.org and www.ucanquit2.org.