COVID-19 Means There’s Never Been A Better Time to Quit Smoking

If you’re a smoker, we know you probably want to quit. According to a 2020 Surgeon General’s report on the subject, almost 70% of smokers do. And over half of you even tried to quit last year. That’s because you know all the reasons why you should: tobacco (along with obesity) causes heart disease, several types of cancer, stroke, diabetes, etc. – you name it. If it’s one of the top causes of death, tobacco is probably involved.

And now, we have COVID-19, a respiratory disease. A disease that makes it hard to breath, just like lung cancer, the biggest cancer killer there is, and the one where the overwhelming number of people who get it, get it from tobacco (in both cigarettes and e-cigs/vapes). So the last thing you want to do is have a habit that weakens your lungs and makes you even more vulnerable to COVID-19. Heck, the last thing you want to do is have any of the conditions that make you more vulnerable to COVID-19, which, as you just read, is likely tied to tobacco.

Take a look at the Louisiana Department of Health’s COVID-19 Dashboard and you’ll see how closely tobacco-related conditions, like hypertension, diabetes, heart and kidney disease, and more, are tied to the more than 4,000 COVID-19 deaths Louisiana has suffered as of the end of July. We’ve had almost 140,000 cases in that time and it’s tobacco (and obesity) that are the underlying conditions that are taking the deadliest toll. And since we’re not going to be done with this pandemic for a while, there’s never been a better time to quit and make yourself less vulnerable to this terrible disease.

We also know that COVID-19 is hitting Black and Hispanic populations much harder than other groups. That’s because long-standing prejudices have kept Black and Hispanic people from getting the same level of, you name it – health care, schools and education, neighborhoods with nearby fresh food and parks, job opportunities – that others get. So overall, Black and Hispanic people are starting out is a hole when it comes to health, so they’re more likely to get the disease.

Look at how they use Joe Camel and candy flavors to lure teenagers. Look at how they paper poor and Black neighborhoods with cigarette billboards, and pay convenience store owners (often the only store in such a neighborhood) for premium placement. You can’t walk up to the cash register, without the cigarette packs practically hitting you in the face! As an R.J. Reynolds exec famously said one time after being asked why he didn’t smoke: “We don’t smoke that s—-. We just sell it. We reserve the right to smoke for the young, the poor, the black and the stupid.” So make no mistake: There’s a target on some people’s backs. It’s no wonder they are more likely to smoke – which then, of course, creates a perfect storm when COVID-19 enters the scene.

And if you are young, or white, or female, you still could be affected by this disease. Someone you know has gotten it, maybe even a relative. You can get it. Being on a ventilator is a horrible experience – ask anyone who has had to experience that. And even if you get COVID-19 and survive it, the evidence is starting to show that even survivors suffer lingering effects, including long-standing fatigue, as well as some scary neurological and immunological issues too. You do not want to mess with this disease.

So here’s the thing. Quitting is hard. We know that. We also know you’re more likely to quit if you have some help. Yet that same Surgeon General’s report said that less than a third of adult smokers used methods approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). So let’s plug you into the help you need and take a look at the resources below. And remember you can quit! More than three out of five (3 out of 5) adults who have ever smoked, have quit. That’s over half – and just imagine how many more could do it, if they just took the help that’s out there?!

Click Here for Local Resources

Quit With Us, LA
The following resources are available in both English and Spanish:

• 24/7 quitline with quit coach includes counseling
• FDA-approved cessation medications
• Online support and tools

The Smoking Cessation Trust (SCT)
SCT helps Louisiana residents who started smoking before September 1, 1988. SCT offers the following resources at free cost:

• Cessation medications
• Individual/group cessation counseling
• Telephone quitline support
• Intensive support services

Tobacco Control Initiative (TCI)
TCI provides free or low-cost, proved tobacco treatment services:

• Individual/group behavioral counseling
• Quit-line support
• Pharmacotherapy (medical treatments)
• Self-help material

Click Here for National Resources

Smokefree.gov
Smokefree.gov offers different quitting methods and you can learn how to use them. Also, they have specific information targeting for vet, women, teen, español, and 60+:

• Text messaging programs
• Personalized quit plans
• 24/7 support apps