- First the news came that Peter Jennings, long time news anchor at ABC News had passed away from lung cancer. Then Dana Reeves, the wife of actor Christopher Reeves, announced she, too had been diagnosed with lung cancer. The same week, actress Barbara Bel Geddes, best known for her role on the series Dallas, died from lung cancer. While both Jennings and Bel Geddes were longtime tobacco smokers, Reeves is not; prompting warnings from all facets of the medical community that lung cancer is a serious, pervasive disease that can strike anyone, at any time.
According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women. More people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. In 2005, the American Cancer Society estimates there will be more than 172,000 new cases of lung cancer in the United States and over 163,000 people will die from the disease - or roughly the total population of Atlantic City, New Brunswick and Camden combined.
There is no doubt that smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer in this country. Secondhand smoke contributes to more than 50,000 deaths. In fact, more than a decade ago, the Surgeon General stated that cigarette smoking was the major single cause of cancer mortality in America. The statement still stands true today.
Over 46 million adults in the U.S. are smokers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These numbers equate to almost a quarter of the total adult population in this country, or one in every four men and women.
There is no denying that it's hard to quit smoking. Nicotine is a powerful drug found in all tobacco products. It's also a highly addictive drug, not unlike heroin or cocaine. Because of this, many smokers will try unsuccessfully to stop smoking many times before finally quitting for good. But as hard as it is to quit, making that commitment is an important first step.
Connie Greene, director of Barnabas Health's Institute for Prevention, said, “Whether you have tried to quit before or are considering stopping tobacco use for the first time, Barnabas Health's Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program can assist you. Our program recognizes the difficulty in stopping tobacco use and offers a comprehensive treatment service utilizing all of the latest research.”
Offered through Barnabas Health Behavioral Health Network's Institute for Prevention and funded by the New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services Division of Epidemiology, the Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program encompasses three main areas of service: assessment; behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy.
Since the Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program's inception in 2000, more than 1,000 people have gone through the program to successfully quit smoking.
Before beginning the program, participants are assessed for their stage of “change readiness,” or their willingness to quit smoking, Greene explained. A comprehensive Nicotine Dependence Evaluation is also conducted.
Individual, group and family therapy is available to encourage and support participants to remain committed to being tobacco-free.
Participants are also given access to a variety of pharmacotherapy aides related to Nicotine Replacement Therapy, which may include a skin patch or chewing gum; as well prescriptions for inhalers, nasal sprays or medication such as Bupropion, all proven to assist with nicotine addiction.
“Because each person is unique, the length of the program will vary from individual to individual,” Greene said. “Those interested may take advantage of a free tobacco dependence assessment before joining the program. After the assessment, the cost of the program is $15 per session. The program will also offer participants nicotine replacement therapies at a discounted rate.”
“Don't put it off any longer,” Greene said. “Make the commitment to quit smoking and break your addiction to nicotine.”
For more information or to schedule an appointment with the Barnabas Health Health Care System's Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program, call (732) 914-1688 ext. 73955 for a free assessment.
[ top ] [ back to news index ]
|
