ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, November 19, 1996 TAG: 9611190071
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: health notes
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
How do you keep kids from starting to smoke?
That was the question a distraught Roanoke County mother had last week when she called to express concern about seeing so many young people lighting up.
She said she and several other families had changed their children's bus stops so that the young people wouldn't be exposed to smokers.
Worse, some of the those who already smoke have been trying to encourage their classmates to "try one."
This woman's 11-year-old was recently offered a cigarette.
Now is an appropriate time to think about why we smoke and what would make us quit because Thursday is the American Cancer Society's annual "Smokeout Day."
The caller surmised that among the reasons young people smoke are:
* Their parents smoke.
* They think it's cool.
* They're left on their own too much.
Yes. And, no, to all of those.
My dad smoked, and I smoked. My mother didn't smoke, and my children hate smoking. They won't even ride in the car with someone smoking.
Smoking can seem sort of cool, though. Certainly, smoking might make some kids feel more adult. And cigarettes are marketed to women as a symbol of a sophisticated, take-charge female.
In fact, cigarettes have given women the lead in one category. In a time when cancer rates are dropping, lung cancer rates in women are increasing.
However, I dislike an ex-smoker who preaches, and I try not to. I liked smoking; I just liked being able to hike and not wheeze more. And I didn't quit easily. I quit many times, as the old joke goes. I tried nicotine gum and was able to smoke and chew it at the same time. I was hypnotized and quit for a while after that. I quit for a year and won a $100 bet and got extra vacation from my company.
But, I always went back. During a birthday dinner or on some other special occasion, I would decide to "have just one" cigarette to celebrate.
One always led to another. Finally, I quit because I was spending so much time worrying about being a smoker and knowing what it could do to my health, especially its contribution to heart disease.
The day after my daughter graduated from college, we took a plane to Nassau for a week's vacation. I'd decided that I would quit smoking the moment I got on the plane.
But, I didn't.
The first night in Nassau, I bought a pack of cigarettes - Winston, always my favorite - and smoked two while I watched the waves break under a picture book moonlight. Then I dumped the remainder of the pack in the trash.
I haven't even touched a cigarette in more than five years. I'd found my own reason and own time for quitting, and that's the way it works. So, how can we keep kids from smoking or get friends to quit?
I don't know, but maybe some of the reasons in the following information will help:
* Smokers are at greater risk of losing their vision as they age because of degeneration to an area of the retina, researchers found at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. In a 12-year study of 31,843 registered nurses ages 50 and 59 in 1980, researchers found that women who smoked 25 or more cigarettes a day had a 2.4 times greater risk of age-related macular degeneration than nonsmokers. The risk also lingered 15 years after the person quit smoking.
AMD is the leading cause of blindness in people 65 and older, noted articles in the Oct. 8 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.
* Smoking causes premature aging and wrinkling of the face.
A "smoker's face" is described as having prominent lines and wrinkles, gaunt facial features with prominence of the underlying bony contours, skin that appears wasted and gray and a lot of orange, red and purple pigmentation.
In the May issue of Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, researchers reported that facial wrinkling increased with the number of "pack-years" smoked. Someone who smoked two packs a day for 20 years had a 40 pack-year history.
Smoking also increases the chance of psoriasis and can prevent tissue healing. Surgical patients that smoke have a greater risk of poor healing and more scarring.
Also, smokers are at greater risk of dying from malignant melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer, found dermatologists at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Squamous cell skin cancer, a less deadly form of skin cancer, was also found to be more common in smokers.
Trench Mouth, which involves ulcers, pain and bleeding in the mouth, occurs almost exclusively in smokers.
Smoking also causes a yellow-brown discoloration of the fingernails, usually of the fingers that hold the cigarette.
For a free "You Can Quit Smoking" guide, call 1-800-358-9295, or visit http://www.ahcpr.gov/.
Here are the U.S. Public Health Service's Recommendations for Smokers Who Want to Quit:
* Make sure you're ready to work hard to quit.
* Talk with your doctor.
* Set a quit date. Don't try to "taper off."
* Build on past mistakes. If you've tried to quit before, think about what helped and what hurt.
* Tell your family and friends that you are quitting.
* Learn how to avoid or cope with situations and behavior that make you want to smoke.
Alzheimer's forum
Legal, medical and behavior issues associated with an Alzheimer's sufferer will be discussed Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Salem Civic Center Community Room.
The gathering is sponsored by the Roanoke/Salem Chapter of the Alzheimers Association. A fee of $20 includes lunch. For reservations or information, call (540) 563-5316.
Attention deficit
Ellen Dixon, a clinical psychologist with Chesapeake Psychological Services in Annandale, will speak Thursday at 9 a.m. at the opening of a workshop on "Identifying, Understanding and Treating Adult Attention Deficit Disorder."
Other speakers are Hildy Getz and David Wiggins, licensed professional counselors, and Dr. Robert Murdock of Carilion Psychiatric Services.
The workshop begins at 8:30 a.m. with registration and breakfast. Today is the deadline for registering for the workshop, which costs $20. Call (540) 344-0931 for information.
You can contact Sandra Brown Kelly at 1-800-346-1234, x393, or at 981-3393 or through biznews@roanoke.infi.net.
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