長期以來，吸煙在我們的社會中一直是酷的象徵。葛麗泰·嘉寶、卡羅爾·隆巴多、奧黛麗·赫本都讓它看起來非常迷人。 1968 年，菲利普·莫里斯 (Phillip Morris) 向一代尋求獨立的女性推出了“Virginia Slims”，行銷活動是“寶貝，你已經走了很長一段路”。
當然，大約在同一時間，每包香菸上也印有衛生局局長的「吸菸有害健康」的警告。
Unfortunately, that warning still goes unheeded. Just this month, a new study by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute published in the New England Journal of Medicine points to some troubling new statistics: While overall incidences of lung cancer have decreased, the decrease in men has been substantially steeper for men than women. And, while the risk of developing lung cancer drops significantly after one quits, the risk of adenocarcinoma drops more slowly than other cancers… and women are more likely to develop that type of lung cancer than men.
美國癌症協會估計，今年將有 234,000 人被診斷出患有這種疾病，154,050 人將死於該疾病。其中約 80% 病例與吸菸直接相關。
據美國藥物管理局稱，吸煙繼續對美國女性及其家人的健康和福祉產生深遠影響。
- 所有女性中約有 13.6% 吸菸。
- 每天，近 1,100 名 18 歲以下的女孩吸第一支菸。
- 近 7% 的高中女生吸煙。
說到吸煙，最好的建議是「永遠不要開始」。但如果您確實開始戒菸，美國肺臟協會有一些建議可以幫助您走上戒菸之路：
- It’s never too late to quit. While it’s best to quit smoking as early as possible, quitting smoking at any age will enhance the length and quality of your life. You’ll also save money and avoid the hassle of going outside in the cold to smoke. You can even inspire those around you to quit smoking!
- 從過去的經驗中學習. Most smokers have tried to quit before and sometimes people get discouraged thinking about previous attempts. Instead, treat those experiences as steps on the road to future success. Think about what helped you during those tries and what you’ll do differently in your next quit attempt.
- You don’t have to quit alone. Telling friends and family that you’re trying to quit and enlisting their support will help ease the process. Expert help is available from the American Lung Association and other groups. Friends who also smoke may even join you in trying to quit!
- 如果您知道該怎麼做，藥物會有所幫助. The seven FDA-approved medications (like nicotine patches or gum) really do help smokers quit. Many folks don’t use them correctly or don’t use them long enough, so be sure to follow the directions.
- 每個吸菸者都可以戒菸。每個人都需要找到適合自己的技術組合，最重要的是，他們需要不斷嘗試。
而且，就在漢考克地區醫院，我們有“承諾戒菸” 戒菸課程。承諾戒菸利用美國癌症協會的 Freshstart 計畫作為我們課程的指南。如需更多信息，請聯繫 Brandee Bastin，電話 (317) 468-4162 或 bbastin@hancockregional.org.
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