Lung Cancer Awareness Month provides moment, reasons to quit smoking | Opinion
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a time to learn about prevention and the risks associated with this disease.
According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer will cause 1 in 4 cancer deaths this year among Floridians. It predicts Florida will have more lung cancer cases and more deaths this year than any other state in the country.
Together, we can take on the No. 1 risk factor of most lung cancer deaths – cigarette smoking. More than 80% of all lung cancer deaths are linked to cigarette smoking. Smokers have a greater risk for lung cancer today than ever, even though they smoke fewer cigarettes on average than prior decades. One reason may be changes in how cigarettes are designed and the dangerous chemicals they contain.
Sadly, due to the strong connection to smoking, people with lung cancer often face a stigma and experience guilt and shame for their diagnosis. Many people – either in considering their own condition or when meeting people living with lung cancer, mistakenly think of lung cancer as the result of a “choice.” However, nicotine is a highly addictive chemical, with many cigarettes including additives to increase the body’s absorption of nicotine. The reality is that smoking is not a choice; it’s an addiction.
The good news is that quitting smoking at any age can lower the risk of lung cancer. Two weeks to three months after quitting smoking, your lung function begins to improve, and over time, among those who have quit, the risk of dying from lung cancer drops to about half that of a person who is still smoking.
Nearly 70% of people who smoke cigarettes want to quit. All Floridians, regardless of insurance, have access to a wide variety of free tools and services to help them quit. Tobacco Free Florida’s Quit Your Way offers phone, group and web quit programs and is available throughout the state, along with free nicotine replacement therapy such as the patch, gum and lozenges.
If you or a loved one smokes and is ready to quit, Lung Cancer Awareness Month could be the perfect time to start your quit journey. You can do it — we can help. Visit tobaccofreeflorida.com or call 1-877-U-CAN-NOW (877-822-6669) for more information.
Laura Corbin is bureau chief of Tobacco Free Florida.
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