DANBURY -- According to the American Lung Association, smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 430,700 American lives each year. Smoking costs the United States approximately $97.2 billion each year in health-care costs and lost productivity.
DANBURY ââ According to the American Lung Association, smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 430,700 American lives each year. Smoking costs the United States approximately $97.2 billion each year in health-care costs and lost productivity. It is directly responsible for 87 percent of lung cancer cases and causes most cases of emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Beginning October 21, Danbury Hospital will offer its comprehensive six-week smoking cessation program âQuit Now.â Participants of the Quit Now program meet for six consecutive Tuesdays from 6 to 7 pm in the Praxair Cancer Center at Danbury Hospital.
 Quit Now covers the basics of nicotine addiction, methods for quitting and behavior modification, exercise and nutrition, stress management and relaxation techniques and relapse prevention.
Quit Now uses a combination of medication therapy, behavior modification and ongoing support services to help more people quit smoking. It also provides consultation/assessment, counseling, treatment planning, group programs, and a support group.
âNicotine is an addiction and requires a strategic approach to quitting that combats the problem from several fronts,â said Marianne Mitchell, an advanced practice registered nurse and Quit Now instructor. âWe all know the dangers of smoking, but sometimes it requires the support of others to stop.â
Ms Mitchell recommends that parents of teenage children give extra consideration to quitting, since parents who smoke are more likely to have children who smoke. Teenagers are the largest group of new smokers, with more than 3,000 new teens starting to smoke each day. Parents can model good behavior for the children by not smoking, according to Ms Mitchell.
Stay Quit is a monthly support group that meets at Danbury Hospital for graduates of Quit Now. The group helps with relapse prevention by providing ongoing support.
Cost of the Quit Now program is $150. For more information, or to register, call 731-8732. Arrangements also can be made for work-site programs at area corporations or individual sessions.