HAWC to help Sheppard smokers kick the habit

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tonnette Thompson
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Among the countless New Year's resolutions to lose weight, drink less or resolve debt, many will promise to finally part ways with their cigarettes, cigars, chew or pipe.

The staff at the Health and Wellness Center plans to make that resolution a bit easier to keep.

The staff will offer free survival/information kits Jan. 4 to anyone who surrenders their tobacco products at the HAWC in recognition of Stay Tobacco Free Day. They will also offer a series of smoking cessation classes.

People have the option of attending four Wednesday sessions from noon to 1 p.m. for a month-long seminar, or a quarterly evening class. The classes offer information on behavior modifications, nicotine facts, medication information, quitting myths and resources.

"Those who attend say the class does help them, it does them good to know the HAWC is there to help them with this," said Beatrix Mote, health educator at the HAWC and retired Air Force major.

Some of the information offered might be news to some of the students. For instance, Ms. Mote recalled several students who express surprise upon learning nicotine is an addictive, legal drug.

"Although the addiction does become mental as well, there is a physical dependency on nicotine that some tobacco users don't even realize; they think cigarettes and chew are so hard to give up because they're habits," she said.

Those with money concerns might be interested to know that cigarette taxes are due to go up in 2007 by another dollar.

"For those who smoke a pack a day, cigarettes could cost them as much as $300 a month," Mote said. Also worth noting is the possibility of life and health insurance premiums dropping once a person can claim they haven't used tobacco for over a year.

Statistics are also made available to the students. According to the Air Force Dental Population Web site, the Air Force-wide average for tobacco users is 25 percent, as compared to the national average of 11 percent.

"The current Air Force goal is to bring the percentage down to 12 percent by 2010," Ms. Mote said.

At Sheppard alone, the average stands at 22 percent, and within Air Education and Training Command it's 21 percent.

To attend the class, referral through a medical situation or chain of command is not necessary; one can simply walk in. Once the class is completed, the HAWC follows up with weekly calls for two months, and then calls every three months for nine months. Those who have gone an entire year without cigarettes is considered a success.

"Of course the possibility for relapse is always there," Ms. Mote said, "but it's just that: relapse, not a failure. People need to know the battle is not hopeless just because they've failed before."

The next set of monthly classes is scheduled for Jan. 10.

For more information, call the HAWC at 676-4292, or visit them at the Pitsenbarger Fitness Center.