Kick Butt with CANSA on World No Tobacco Day
The CANSA eKick Butt programme helps smokers to combat this addiction and quit for good. Since its inception four years ago, the programme has supported nearly 4 000 people who wanted to quit smoking.
Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease including cancer and non-communicable diseases, so why not make every day a tobacco-free day with the Cancer Association of South Africa’s (CANSA) eKick Butt programme.
Through a series of emails, surveys and downloads, eKick Butt guides, mentors and empowers people to help quit smoking and work towards a healthier lifestyle.
It is no secret tobacco is extremely harmful, not only for smokers, but for anyone exposed to second-hand and third-hand smoke.
“Tobacco contains nicotine, a powerful and highly addictive substance, and most tobacco products deliver nicotine to the brain very effectively, bringing on the rapid onset and maintenance of addiction. This addiction leads to the unfortunate situation where an otherwise motivated, knowledgeable person, who understands the risks of tobacco, continues to use it,” said CANSA’s acting CEO, Elize Joubert.
The CANSA eKick Butt programme helps smokers to combat this addiction and quit for good. Since its inception four years ago, the programme has supported nearly 4 000 people who wanted to quit smoking.
Tobacco-related diseases kill more than 44 000 South Africans and six million people worldwide annually. Tobacco usage increases the risk of cancer of the lungs, oesophagus, mouth, bladder, pancreas, kidney, stomach, cervix and breast. Smoking during pregnancy and exposure to second-hand smoke are both linked to miscarriages, low birth weights and stillbirths. Babies who breathe in second-hand smoke have a higher risk of sudden death infant syndrome (SIDS).
“It’s not only cigarettes that are harmful to health. Hookah pipe smoking, cigars and snuff have just as detrimental an effect on health. Electronic cigarettes have not been scientifically proven to be safe either,” explained Ms Joubert.
Time to stop
Timeline after quitting:
20 minutes after last cigarette: Blood pressure and pulse rate drops, body temperature rise toward normal.
Eight hours after quitting: Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal, oxygen level rise to normal.
24 hours after quitting: Chance of a heart attack decreases.
48 hours after quitting: Nerve endings start re-growing, ability to smell and taste is enhanced.
After two weeks to three months: Circulation improves, walking becomes easier and lung function improves.
After one to nine months: There is a decrease in coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath.
After one year: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker.
After five to 15 years: The stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.
After 10 years: The risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers.
After 15 years: The risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked. The risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked.
“World No Tobacco Day is as good a time as any to make the choice to empower yourself and kick butt for a healthy and happy life. How great it would it be to celebrate a tobacco-free life with thousands of others?” concluded Mr Joubert.
