Tyndall tobacco users given 24-hour goal by wing CC

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chyenne Griffin
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Tyndall Air Force Base is being challenged by none other than the wing commander to support the Great American Smokeout by going 24 hours without a cigarette being lit, or a dip being spit. 

Brig. Gen. Tod D. Wolters, 325th Fighter Wing commander, encourages all wing personnel to go tobacco-free from 2:30 p.m. Nov. 15 to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 16 to support the 31st Annual American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout. 

More than a quarter of Tyndall AFB active-duty Airmen, and a large percentage of base civilians and contractors, use tobacco products. With exactly half of the United States now enforcing smoke-free laws, and a variety of cessation resources available, there has never been a better time to quit tobacco and enjoy the health benefits. 

People who quit smoking, regardless of age, live longer than people who continue to smoke and quitting smoking substantially decreases the risk of lung, laryngeal, esophageal, oral, pancreatic, bladder and cervical cancers, according to a 1990 U.S. Surgeon General report. 

The Health and Wellness Center offers a series of tobacco-cessation classes to the entire Tyndall Team - all active-duty, dependents, retirees, base civilians and contractors. Individuals with Tricare are also eligible to receive a prescription for tobacco-cessation medication. 

Classes offered are a series of three one-and-a-half hour sessions that address dealing effectively with withdrawal, eliminating stress, preventing weight gain, relapse and more. If desired, attendees with Tricare benefits can receive a prescription for one of the tobacco-cessation medications the base pharmacy now carries - including the new Chantix, Zyban, and the Nicotine Transdermal System Patch. 

Base members may also call the American Lung Association Quitline at 1-800-548-8252 and let the facilitator know they are from Tyndall AFB and need help quitting tobacco. The worker will help set up a plan to quit and put a referral in to HAWC personnel for a tobacco-cessation aid prescription. Weekly calls to the support line and just two quick appointments at the HAWC are required for a prescription and subsequent refills. This option is designed for individuals unable to attend classes. 

"We just want to get the word out to the entire Tyndall community about how many options are available," said Tonya Nash, HAWC Health Education Program manager. "Tobacco-use is the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States." 

There are also nationwide resources for those not eligible to receive Tyndall AFB-specific support, including calling the American Cancer Society's Quitline, a free telephone-based counseling program, at 1-800-227-2345, or visiting the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout Web site at www.cancer.org/greatamericans. 

The Great American Smokeout Web site features desktop helpers, including a Quit Clock and a Craving Stopper. These tools can be downloaded to a personal computer desktop to help smokers pick a quit day, prepare for quitting, and offer support during and after quitting. 

The Great American Smokeout is part of the American Cancer Society's Great American Health Challenge, a year-round initiative that encourages Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles to reduce their risk of cancer. 

This initiative is very similar to the mission of the base HAWC staff, who is there to assist any individual in making healthy lifestyle changes. In keeping with this, the HAWC is kicking off the tobacco-free activities at the 14th Annual 5K Walk/Run Turkey Trot at the fitness center track at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 15, where they will give individuals a "quit kit" to assist them through their 24-hour tobacco-free pledge. 

To register for the Great American Smokeout or for more information on tobacco cessation assistance or any healthy lifestyle initiatives, call the HAWC at 283-3826.