87th MDG implements tobacco free campus Published Aug. 23, 2013 By Maj. Mindy Davison 87th Medical Support Squadron JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The 87th Medical Group will join a number of military treatment facilities and federal employers across the nation in becoming a tobacco free campus on Aug. 31, 2013. The purpose of the tobacco free MTF campus is to promote the mission readiness of the total force; protect the health of staff, patients and visitors; help tobacco users quit and maintain self-restraint; and demonstrate the Air Force's commitment to healthy workplaces. The implementation of a tobacco free campus also makes the MDG compliant with Air Force Instruction 40-102, Tobacco Use in the Air Force. Tobacco use stands out among unhealthy behaviors. It is the leading preventable cause of death in this country claiming 443,000 deaths annually. Secondhand smoke exposure increases the risk of heart attacks and cancers; the U.S. Surgeon General has emphasized there is no safe level of exposure. Widespread smokeless tobacco use is of particular concern to the Department of Defense, smokeless tobacco causes oral health problems and cancers. Tobacco use also has a huge economic toll. It costs $96 billion in medical expenditures and $97 billion in lost productivity in the U.S. annually. Tobacco use costs DoD more than $1.6 billion annually from medical costs and lost work time. The Air Force Medical Service vision is world-class healthcare for beneficiaries anywhere, anytime. Every day, AFMS personnel are treating the adverse and costly health effects of tobacco use among our healthcare beneficiaries. The Air Force needs to lead by example and implement evidence-based, effective policies that promote health. If you work on a MTF campus and use tobacco, the tobacco-free MTF campus is an excellent opportunity to quit using tobacco. Research has shown that 69 percent of tobacco users would like to quit and 52 percent made a quit attempt in the past year. Prior research has shown that tobacco-free workplaces facilitate tobacco-free living. By providing environmental structure, tobacco-free work sites assist tobacco users with quitting and help those who have quit to maintain self-restraint. Support the tobacco-free MTF campus policy and recognize the policy for what it is - providing the environmental support to help smokers succeed. The Health and Wellness Center currently offers a monthly tobacco cessation course for those beneficiaries who are ready to stop smoking. The four-week course will not only reinforce a smoker's desire to quit, but will help them develop the necessary skills and confidence to live their lives without the need for tobacco. Spouses and partners and encouraged to attend. Medication may be provided to TRICARE beneficiaries and will be prescribed by one of the pharmacists overseeing the program. DoD civilians, as part of the Federal Employees Health benefits plan, have had comprehensive, barrier-free coverage of tobacco cessation counseling and medications since Jan. 1, 2011. To enroll in the tobacco cessation course, contact the HAWC at (609) 754-2462. Another resource available to service members and TRICARE beneficiaries is the DoD's tobacco cessation website, www.ucanquit2.org. Also available is the New Jersey QuitLine, 1-866-NJSTOPS. The New Jersey QuitLine is a free telephone-counseling service that helps people who want to stop smoking. Trained counselors give callers information, advice, encouragement and one-on-one counseling. Counselors design an individualized program to support each smoker's effort to quit. Participants receive four counseling sessions, with the option of adding sessions as needed. TRICARE beneficiaries with a course completion certificate may qualify to receive medications through the 87th MDG pharmacy or through Express Scripts mail order program at no cost.