MDG Campus goes Tobacco Free

  • Published
  • By By Doctor (Capt.) Marie-Antonette Brancato
  • 325th Aeromedical Dental Squadron
Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. --  The 325th Medical Group is the newest Air Force medical campus to go tobacco free beginning Nov. 13. The group is setting a precedence with this policy because tobacco use is inconsistent with the 325th MDG's role as Team Tyndall's disease-prevention champions and promoters of a healthy lifestyles, according to Col. Gino Auteri, 325th MDG commander.

The 325th MDG campus includes: Physiological Training, Bldg. 546b; Mental Health, Bldg. 1404; Drug Demand Reduction, Bldg. 1305; Health and Wellness Center, Bldg. 1307; MDG Logistics, Bldg. 1467; MDG facility management, Bldg. 1468; MDG warehouse, Bldg. 1471; Cogen Plant, Bldg. 1473; MDG generator facility, Bldg. 1466; Main Clinic facility, Bldg. 1465; Satellite Pharmacy, Bldg. 950 and all adjacent parking lots, ramps, sidewalks, and entry ways. All existing designated smoking areas around these buildings will be deactivated Nov. 13. Signs will be posted throughout the group campus as reminders of the new policy.

Smoking remains the leading cause of death in this country and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, harms nearly every body organ. The adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 438,000 deaths annually, nearly one of every five deaths that occur each year in the United States. More deaths are caused yearly by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides and murders combined.

Even for non-tobacco users, there are still plenty of reasons to support tobacco-free policies. Secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke, is a complex mixture of gases and particles that includes smoke from the burning cigarette, cigar, or pipe tip and exhaled mainstream smoke.
Other facts: 

-Secondhand smoke contains at least 250 chemicals known to be toxic, including more than 50 that can cause cancer. 

-Secondhand smoke exposure causes heart disease and lung cancer in non-smoking adults. 

-Non-smokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase their heart disease risk by 25 to 30 percent and their lung cancer risk by 20 to 30 percent. 

-Breathing secondhand smoke has immediate harmful effects on the cardiovascular system, increasing the risk of heart attack. People who already have heart disease are at especially high risk. 

-Secondhand smoke exposure causes acute respiratory infections in children and slows lung growth. 

-Secondhand smoke causes ear problems and more frequent and severe asthma attacks in children. 

Smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco and snuff, is a significant health risk and is not a safe substitute for smoking cigarettes. It increases the risk of gum disease, developing cancer in the oral cavity, stained teeth and bad breath. Smokeless tobacco is highly addictive and raises the risk of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease.

The 325th MDG wants to provide a healthy environment at the medical treatment facility for staff, patients and visitors; and encourage the reduction or cessation of tobacco use. For more information on programs available to help with tobacco cessation, visit the Health and Wellness Center or call 283-3826.