HAWC--keeping goals from going up in smoke Published April 8, 2014 By Senior Airman Christopher Reel 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Lent is almost over and New Year's isn't for another eight months. Both giving things up and starting resolutions doesn't have to wait for a holiday. Start today and give up tobacco with the help of the Health and Wellness Center. April Wisdom, 325th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Health and Wellness Center flight commander, provides one-on-one tobacco sensation counseling to anyone with base access. She has been singularly helping people quit tobacco products for three years. "Approximately 70 percent of the patients here are still tobacco free at seven months," said Wisdom. "This is extraordinarily high. The national average for people successfully quitting is only around 30 percent. The HAWC saw a two percent drop in the tobacco use rate here at Tyndall over the last year, which tells us that the health consequences are being considered and more and more people are committing to keeping themselves healthy." The HAWC offers three programs to help quit smoking. "We offer the American Lung Association Quit-line number, which is available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.," Wisdom said. "We provide their number because of the convenience of their program. When individuals have urges, they can call to talk through their cravings." The other two HAWC options are counseling and the opportunity for medication to counter addiction. "The most effective method for patients is to use a collaboration of these tools," said Wisdom. "The average tobacco user tries to quit at least seven times before actually quitting. We are quite welcoming to repeat customers." Wisdom sees about three to six customers a week. Session length depends on the patient and is based off their needs. "We start with figuring out why the patient started smoking," Wisdom said. "We then identify triggers that associate with urges for wanting to use a tobacco product. For some individuals it's because of stress or boredom. "We then find ways to replace the use of tobacco products with healthy habits," added Wisdom. "A huge part of quitting tobacco is finding something to replace tobacco." To help ensure individuals quit, Wisdom recommended patients to try and commit for 12 weeks with the HAWC programs. "We are always there to provide follow-up support," Wisdom said. "We call patients every three to four weeks to see if they're okay. Patients are always encouraged to call me or the quit-line number. I feel this adds to the HAWC's high success rate." Approximately 17.7 percent of active duty members use tobacco, explained Wisdom. Last year approximately 100 people utilized the HAWC program. "Everyone who uses tobacco will see an impact on their health, and it's a roll of the dice that determines whether they see lung cancer, throat cancer, heart disease, emphysema, tooth loss, impotence, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder or some other horrible and difficult condition," Wisdom said. "There is no safe cigarette and even one a day could lead to cancer down the road, so people who want to quit should call the HAWC as soon as possible." To schedule an appointment to help quit tobacco, contact the HAWC at (850) 283-3826. To contact the American Lung Association Quit-line, call 1-877-695-7848.