Members of the Alliance for a Healthier Indiana coalition have invited public health advocates to express their support of an increase in Indiana’s cigarette tax. The Senate Appropriations Committee will be voting on the state’s budget, HB 1001, March 30.

Along with adequate funding for evidence-based treatment services and a comprehensive tobacco prevention program, increasing the price of tobacco is a proven strategy for reducing the burden of tobacco use at the state level.  Indiana’s adult smoking rate has remained around 25% for several years, and a relatively low tobacco tax is partially responsible.

Increasing the price of tobacco has been proven to encourage current tobacco users to use less and others—especially those with lower incomes—to quit completely.  It also has a strong effect on preventing children from starting.

According to the Alliance for a Healthier Indiana, “increasing the price of tobacco is the single most effective method for decreasing smoking rates — especially in those under age 18. A 10% increase in the real price of cigarettes would reduce the number of kids who smoke by 6-7% and the number of pregnant women who smoke pregnant women by 7% — and result in $1.4 billion in long-term health care savings, all while adding more than $200 million in new revenue that could be used for boosting Indiana’s cessation efforts and programs.

For more information about how to talk to your elected officials about this issue, visit this page from the Alliance for a Healthier Indiana.

To learn more about HealthNet’s Tobacco Cessation Program, please click here.

World No Tobacco Day is recognized by the World Health Organization each year and works to spread awareness and fight tobacco use around the world. This year the focus is on “Plain Packaging” which shows the dangers of using tobacco. Other countries around the world have already implemented plain packaging into law.

To learn more about World No Tobacco Day and the importance of plain packaging, please click here for a press release from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. 

If you are thinking about quitting tobacco and would like to learn more about HealthNet’s Quit Tobacco Program, please contact the HealthNet location nearest you.

Source:

1. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/press_releases/post/2016_05_31_wntd

Post by Linda Bundick 

Click the links below to learn more about each product.

Combustible or Burned Tobacco:

You probably know about…
• Cigarettes
• Cigars
• Pipe tobacco

You may not have heard of…
• Cigarillos/Little Cigars/Brown Cigarettes
• Bidis
• Cloves/Kreteks
• Hookah

Smokeless or Spit Tobacco:

You probably know about…
• Chewing tobacco (plug, loose leaf, or twists)
• Moist snuff
• Dry snuff

Snus

You may not have heard of…
• Snus
• Dissolvable tobacco

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)

You probably know about…
• Electronic cigarettes

You may not have heard of…
• Vape pens/hookah pens

To learn more about these products, check out this presentation from Smoke Free Indy.

All forms of tobacco have health risks—even those marketed to be safer than cigarettes.  It is ALWAYS healthier to quit.  If you or someone you know is thinking of quitting, congratulations!  For help quitting, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit www.equitnow.com.

Post by Linda Bundick

This desire to quit comes with good reason. The benefits of quitting smoking seem almost endless:

• Cost – someone who smokes 1 pack a day can save more $2000 per year when they quit
• Lowered risk of tobacco related illnesses, including asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis, several forms of cancer, heart disease, etc. (quitting smoking can add up to 10 years to someone’s life)
• More energy
• Decreasing the emission of second-hand smoke which can harm others (especially children and pets) and the environment
• Better oral hygiene
• Lower medical and dental bills
• Can serve as a healthy role model to children, grandchildren, friends, etc.

The list goes on. Despite these benefits there are still 45 million American adults who smoke. Why? Because quitting smoking is extremely difficult. Perhaps even more difficult than quitting smoking is staying quit.

Most people have heard the Mark Twain quote, “Quitting smoking is easy – I’ve done it a thousand times.”

This statement is profoundly true.

The journey of quitting smoking does not end the day a person stops smoking. It doesn’t end 2 weeks after someone quits, or 2 months, or 2 years. Quitting smoking is a lifelong journey. It’s a very complex battle of physiological, psychological, and social addictions.

However, the intent of this article is not to be discouraging, but encouraging. There is always hope! And despite the difficulties of quitting smoking, more than 48 million Americans have successfully quit!

Research continually shows that when you have a plan and some support, you increase your chances of successfully quitting smoking and staying quit.

In honor of the Great American Smokeout on Thursday, November 20, 2014, here are some practical tips for preparing to quit. 

1. Make a list of all the reasons you want to quit. Keep it in your pocket, tape it to your bathroom mirror, or place it on the refrigerator. Keep this list close to you as a constant reminder of why you’re choosing to be smoke-free.
2. Decide on a quit date. This is a very important step for most people. This allows you to pick a concrete date and to prepare each day leading up to it. Choose a date within the next 1-4 weeks.   You want to give yourself enough time to prepare, but not too much time to change your mind. Some people choose special dates such as birthdays, anniversaries or holidays to add special meaning to it.
3. Make a strategy. Decide whether you want to quit cold turkey or use a medication to help quit. While there’s no magic pill or medication that will force you to quit smoking, the FDA has approved several medications which are designed to decrease nicotine withdrawal. These medications can serve as powerful tools to help you quit. If you’re interested, talk to your doctor or Tobacco Cessation Specialist about what options are available.
4. Remove ashtrays and cigarettes from your home, car, work, etc. This can be an intimidating process, but it is absolutely necessary! If you keep even one cigarette ‘just in case’, you will likely smoke it. Don’t taunt yourself like that; just get rid of it all.
5. Stock up on substitutes. Oral substitutes like sugarless gum, cinnamon sticks, mints, hard candy, carrot or celery sticks, straws, etc. can help you transition from the hand-to-mouth habit of smoking a cigarette.
6. Rethink your routines. Smoking is generally built into a routine, such as morning coffee, after meals, while driving, hanging around certain friends who smoke, etc. Think about changing some of these routines. Drink tea instead of coffee or change the order of your morning routine. Take a different route to work and avoid certain people/situations temporarily if needed. 
7. Elicit support. Tell your trusted friends and family about your plan to quit and communicate with them how they can help you through this process. Give them warning that over the next several weeks you may be cranky. They will appreciate this forewarning.
8. Practice saying, “No thank you, I don’t smoke.” Practice this! You cannot live in a bubble the rest of your life. You will likely be offered a cigarette at some point, so be prepared to say no.  You are smoke-free and it is a great thing!

A few tips once your quit day arrives:

• Stay active – go walking, join a gym, do short bursts of exercise, etc.
• Partake in new hobbies and spend time with others who don’t smoke
• Drink lots of water
• Avoid situations where you know the urge to smoke will be strong
• Drink less alcohol or avoid it completely
• Do not smoke.  Not even one puff – you are smoke-free!

Post by Stacey Chappell

What is the Great American Smokeout (GASO)?

The Great American Smokeout (GASO) is a nationwide event held each year on the third Thursday of November.  The goal of GASO is to encourage people who smoke to give up their cigarettes for one day.  The hope is that they will continue to stay quit!

History of GASO

The concept of GASO began in the 1970’s when people in Randolph, Massachusetts were asked to give up cigarettes for one day and donate the money they saved to a high school scholarship.

The idea escalated from there.  In 1976, nearly 1 million people quit smoking during GASO in California alone!  Since then not only have millions of people quit smoking, but smoking bans have taken place in businesses, cities and states nationwide.

Why quit?

The human body starts recovering from any damage caused by smoking almost immediately after quitting.  Below is a chart from the American Cancer Society that shows details of how the body heals itself after one quits smoking.

How to quit?

Research shows that the chances of quitting and staying quit drastically increase when help is sought, whether it be a medication, support group, or smoking cessation program.  Below are some online resources for quitting.

Guide to Quitting Smoking

Smoke-free Countdown Clock

Cost Calculator

Smoke-free Journey

For more information on HealthNet’s FREE Tobacco Cessation Program, make an appointment at a HealthNet location near you. 

Here are some healthy ideas for celebrating this fun holiday:

1. Walk the parade route. The parade kicks off at North and Pennsylvania streets at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, and ends at Vermont and Meridian streets.
2. Go green. Skip the car and walk or ride bikes to the day’s destinations whenever possible. Our friends at SustainIndy and the IBJ can help you get started! 
3. Eat greens today. Leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach and Romaine lettuce pack in vitamins, iron and fiber. Or, try adding broccoli snap peas or cabbage to potato, rice or noodle dishes.
4. Skip the sweet treats slathered in green frosting. For a healthier green treat, try lime gelatin or add mint flavoring to sugar free vanilla pudding, along with a few drops of green food coloring.
5. Enjoy some healthy St. Patrick’s Day fun with your kids!
6. Don’t leave your health to the luck of the Irish. HealthNet’s Health Promotions offers FREE one-on-one nutrition counseling and FREE personal coaching on how to quit smoking. Make an appointment at the health center nearest you.
7. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by making Indy a healthier place to live! Last year, HealthNet’s Health Promotions program assisted more than 6,000 in our community with services like free cervical cancer screenings, nutrition and tobacco cessation counseling, and childbirth classes. With your help, they can do even more.

BUT!! Don’t forget FOUR great things about our Health Promotions team!

1. Nutrition & Diet – Our Clinical Dietician is here to help people learn how eat healthy, lose weight, control their cholesterol and SO MUCH MORE!  It is hard for anyone to eat healthy but even HARDER when you don’t have many choices.  Eating healthy on a budget is Karen’s strong suit. She will make sure you get on the road to success.
2. Tobacco Cessation – QUIT SMOKING!! We have a VERY persistent Tobacco Cessation Counselor who will exhaust every strategy in the book to find a way for her patients to stop smoking.  (Read a success story in a previous post).  It really all boils down to the individual’s commitment to quit, but Stacey will make sure that you have every tool possible to keep from lighting up again!
3. Pregnancy & Childbirth – Newly pregnant?  Whether it is a patient’s first pregnancy or FOURTH, all who participate in our childbirth or breastfeeding classes will benefit in some way. Our 5-week childbirth classes surround patients with others who are sharing the same experience.  Expectant moms learn helpful tips during their pregnancy and take a tour of the Methodist Hospital Labor and Delivery unit. Carlene makes it her job to help our patients be prepared for this new stage in their life.
4. Community Outreach – Whether it is a Health Fair or piloting a new walking program (more to come), our Health Promotions team is always thinking of great ways to engage our patients in preventive care.  It is our job to help patients take ownership of their own health, because their lives are busy and at times VERY stressful. Illness can only increase stress and cause greater difficulty in treatment.

In the middle of all of this “MADNESS,” we want to recognize the great work done by our Health Promotions team.  Who also needs YOUR help! All pregnancy classes, smoking counseling, and nutrition help are free to our community.  A quick donation can go a long way in order for our team to continue and INCREASE their success in the most underserved areas of our community.

Consider a $25 gift to Health Promotions to keep them in our centers and increasing the health of our neighborhoods!

In the technical sense of the word, I have ALWAYS been a smoker, but I didn’t actively start smoking until I was 18.

Like many have done in the past, Delorus Alderman started smoking at the age of 18.  It was part of the culture at that time.  There weren’t any laws banning smoking ANYWHERE.  There was a smoking “hole” at her school where all you needed was a note giving permission.  Her parents did it, her friends did it, and it was just something that was accepted.  Before long, she was smoking two packs a day without even blinking an eye.

She continued at this pace, until she heard the words come right out of her doctor’s mouth, “Quit now or die.” It was a simple, sobering statement after it was discovered that Delorus had congestive heart failure, and on January 2, 2010, Delorus began her difficult journey to quitting.

With help from HealthNet’s smoking cessation counselor, Stacey Chappell, Delorus has overcome many obstacles on her road to no smoking.  Stacey gave her many practical tips that she used to prepare herself and her family.  Delorus used NRT patches; however, she was unable to us Chantix due to other health issues.  “Stacey gave me my life back, and I try to tell her how amazing she is every time I talk to her.”

Delorus gained inspiration from her husband, Jerry, who quit smoking in 2002.  But with inspiration also came some resentment.  Jerry made it look easy, and this oftentimes discouraged Delorus. “He took a class, read a book, and just walked away from the cigarettes.  But, he was my biggest supporter, even when I wasn’t the happiest camper!” She had tried to quit several times in the past, but ended with no avail.  Now, she could not even tell people that she was trying to quit because she didn’t think she could be successful.

"Stacey gave me back my life..."

Blessed with a supportive husband and family, Delorus sought peer support from others who were going through the same thing.  She asked for support from her online “MomsLikeMe” group – all of whom rallied around her, using creative strategies and tough love to help her get through those hard months.  Her kids would bring her hard candy and gum. Her youngest daughter came up with a great idea – a jar for collecting cigarette money, a visualization of her success.  And Jerry was there, whispering words of encouragement and support along the way.  Her online group stuck with her, emailing with her at all hours of the day and the night.  Making herself accountable to these folks spring boarded Delorus to success.

As Delorus enters her first year without cigarettes in a very long time, challenges still remain.  Cravings are strong.  Family members and friends still smoke.  However, Delorus finds inspiration in a thought she had when reflecting on becoming a non-smoker – “My mom was 8 years older than I am now when she passed away from congestive heart failure.  She was a smoker; so, I felt like if I kept smoking, then I was bailing on my kids.”

You can help others and yourself to quit smoking.  Contact our tobacco cessation counselor or look up the health center location near you.

Add a comment below if you or a loved one has had a success story, and feel free to post any questions you have about our program!