An opportunity to finally kick smoking habit

It’s the holiday season, and while many wait until Jan. 1 to make resolutions to make improvements for their health, if you want to quit smoking, now is the time to do it.

Smokers across the country are encouraged to quit tobacco for a day, or a lifetime, during the Great American Smokeout this Thursday. The event symbolizes a new beginning for many tobacco users.

Anyone who’s tried to quit smoking will tell you it’s not easy. It sometimes take a great deal of support from others to increase the chances of success. Help is available at the PA Quite Line at 1-800-QUITNOW (784-8669) or by visiting pa.quitlogix.org/ to enroll for services that can help.

For current smokers wondering about how their smoking history impacts their cancer risk, Roswell Park Comprehensive Care Center’s Lung Cancer Screening Program utilizes a practical metric known as the Pack/Year.

“To calculate the number of pack years you have smoked, multiply the number of packs you smoke per day by the number of years you have smoked. That total number is your pack years/number,” says Nikia Clark, a manager at the center.

Patients will be recommended for lung cancer screening if they:

• Have a history of at least 20 pack/years of smoking

• Are aged 50-79

• Have actively smoked within the last 15 years

The goal is to detect potentially cancerous nodules in their earliest and most treatable stage.

“Lung cancer causes more deaths than breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer combined,” Clark says. “Only 6% percent of people eligible for lung cancer screening are getting tested. We need to increase screening rates in order to save lives!”

Smokers are encouraged to start small and finish big during the Great American Smokeout by acknowledging successes and tackling tobacco cravings head-on. Learn tips for beating cravings and getting ahead of stressors at www.nysmokefree.com.

There is no one-size-fitsall solution to quitting tobacco. However, those who work with a quit coach and use the full range of services available have the best chance of quitting.

Making recreation pay

Detoured from their usual routines and locked out of much of their usual entertainment, Pennsylvanians flocked to the great outdoors at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. A report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that they have stayed out there. Outdoor recreation generated $13.4 billion for the state’s economy in 2021, sixth highest in the nation and a 20% increase over 2020.

The state government has responded wisely to earlier data about the public’s embrace of outdoor activity. Recognizing increases in state park visits, the Legislature and Wolf administration dedicated $700 million in pandemic relief funds to environmental programs and to address longstanding maintenance backlogs in state parks. They appropriated $56 million to create three new state parks, increasing the total to 124. The new analyses likewise should drive state policy. The first lesson is that environmental stewardship, a worthy priority in its own right, also is good for business.

“Outdoor recreation continues to be a thriving and significant industry within the commonwealth and this data helps us better understand what we are doing well, while also providing guidance on where we can grow this industry for it own sake and to improve the lives of Pennsylvanians,” said Nathan Reigner, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources outdoor recreation director.

The economic data should build an even stronger consensus for strong environmental stewardship. The law should require the Department of Environmental Protection to ponder the broader consequences regarding outdoor business before it approves unwarranted projects.

The benefits of sound stewardship extend beyond even the blessings of clean air and water. State policy should reflect that.