Thinking About Quitting Smoking or Chewing?

You may have already heard that the CDC estimates adult males lose 13.2 years and adult females lose 14.5 years of life due to smoking, but many still have the attitude that they would rather live a shorter life doing what they want than give up something they enjoy.  Well, consider the impact on your quality of life as well.  

According to the American Cancer Society, death from cancer or heart disease are not the only serious risks to worry about.  Smoking causes an increased risk of macular degeneration, one of the most common causes of blindness in older people. It promotes cataracts, which cloud the lens of the eye. It also causes premature wrinkling of the skin, bad breath, gum disease and tooth loss, bad-smelling clothes and hair, and yellow fingernails.  Men who smoke are more likely to develop erectile dysfunction (impotence) because of blood vessel disease.  Cancer is not the only lung disease you need to worry about.  Smoking greatly increases your risk of getting long-term lung diseases like emphysema and chronic bronchitis. These diseases make it harder to breathe, and are grouped together under the name chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD causes chronic illness and disability, and gets worse over time -- sometimes becoming fatal.  And speaking of that cancer - it isn't just lung cancer.  It is also linked to higher risk for many other kinds of cancer too, including cancer of the mouth, nose, sinuses, voice box (larynx), throat (pharynx), esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, stomach, and acute myeloid leukemia.

There are a lot of new tools to help you when and if you decide to quit:

Become An Ex

Guide to Quitting Smoking

Smokefree


Smokeless Tobacco Resources:

Kill The Can

My Last Dip

Taking this step is hard work, but information is power and we want you to succeed.  Please contact us at eciwellness@gmail.com if you would like more information about tobacco cessation.