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Tobacco kills: HAWC class shows tobacco-use dangers, offers carbon monoxide screenings

  • Published
  • By Megan Brown
  • HAWC health educator
McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. --  These days, it's difficult to find anyone who disputes the fact that tobacco is deadly. Even the tobacco companies now admit what doctors and scientists had long warned: Cigarettes and other tobacco products are known causes of a host of serious-and often fatal-diseases and conditions. Everyone agrees that tobacco kills.

Despite this reality, more than 4,000 American teenagers try smoking every day, this taking the first step on a path toward devastating illness and death. Young adults are especially vulnerable. Research indicates that 90 percent of adult smokers began in their teen years or even younger. The survival statistics are grim: More than 400,000 Americans die every year because of tobacco.

On June 5, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Health and Wellness Center, Bonnie Marcus from Prevention Plus will present visual displays pertaining to tobacco education in an interactive program. A video will be shown titled, "Tobacco and Death: Perfect Together". This will graphically introduce participants to the many types of damage that tobacco causes to the body and presents hard-hitting interviews with smokers and their families as they battle with smoking-related diseases.

The program stresses an important message to students: it is best never to start smoking, but current smokers are encouraged to reclaim their lives by quitting. Students will come away with the vital understanding that tobacco and death are undeniably linked, and that rejecting tobacco is one of the most important steps toward a healthy life they can make.

Immediately following Bonnie's presentation, Cynthia Grant, Virtua Health Quitcenter, will be conducting 30-second Carbon Monoxide screenings to demonstrate the effect smoking can have on your body. This presentation is open to all non-tobacco users and tobacco users. We highly encourage our younger Airmen and current tobacco users to attend this informative briefing and screening.

For more information, call the HAWC at (609) 754-2462.