The White Falcon - 08.08.1986, Blaðsíða 7

"Smokebusters" Air Force smoking cessation program
Filled with the hope of saving others, two men
armed with knowledge, experience and a new idea
are battling a life-threatening specter. Ghost-
busters, right? No, gasp, they're Smokebusters!
The two, both Air Force doctors, have developed
a flexible smoking cessation program with a
success rate that parallels that of the American
Cancer Society's 33 percent rate for long-term
cessation and 55 percent short-term.
Smokebusters deals with the smoker's
physiological and psychological dependencies on
cigarettes. The first shot in the war on cigarettes
was fired in 1984 by Capt. (Dr.) Lamont Warden, a
resident at the David Grant Medical Center at Travis
AFB, Calif.
His weapon is nicotine resin gum, while his
tactics are support, therapy and behavior mod-
ification. The program consists of eight 60-minute
weekly sessions.
Nicotine resin gums keeps patients from dealing
with nicotine withdraw! until they are stronger both
psychologically and behaviorally, according to
Captain Warden. "Once they are on their way, we
taper off the gum," he said.
Captain Warden was transferred in 1985 to
Fairchild AFB, Wash., where he began another
Smokebusters program. Capt. (Dr.) Jeffery
Oswald, also a resident, took the reigns of the
original program, adding hypnosis and relaxation
training.
"Relaxation and stress reduction training give
people the opportunity to handle situations they
used to smoke in," said Captain Oswald.
He added that hypnosis reinforces the desire to
quit. "Some people cannot tolerate the gum and
hypnosis helps them. Hypnosis is not magic, just
another tool to help overcome a difficult time," he
said.
Another of the difficulties faced by the par-
ticipants is weight gain. "Usually one-third of the
class will gain weight, so we address weight man-
agement in both programs,” Captain Warden said.
Captain Warden believes in Smokebusters
because it works. "What helps the most is personal
determination. The reasons people join our
programs are more varied than the methods we
offer," he said.
Despite the obvious hazards of smoking, not all
program participants join for health reasons.
According to the doctors, some come to set an
example, or for financial reasons, to gain control
of their lives, or because smoking is inconvenient.
The program produces varied results. "Some of
the graduates breathe easier, some sleep better,
and some have more energy," said Captain Warden.
Most graduates are rewarded with an improved
sense of smell. However, Doctor Warden cautioned
that coughing may get worse at first because the
lungs are waking up and starting to clear the smoke
residue.
Unfortunately, not all graduates remain non-
smokers. "Some people resume smoking because
they haven't given thorough thought to what sit-
uations cause them to smoke, what benefits they
receive from smoking, and how to identify those
benefits," said Captain Warden.
"People who quit smoking are going to have a hard
time. In order to quit smoking, they h8ve to want
to quit smoking and make a commitment." He
recalled one patient who said, "You only have to say
no to one cigarette a day, the first one."
According to Dr. Warden, programs like Smoke-
busters are easy to run and are worthwhile.
"Establishing this program is the most rewarding
thing I have done as a doctor," he said.
"My goal is to get some kind of stop-smoking
program throughout the Air Force. Such a program
could save the Air Force millions of dollars," he
continued.
"I compare what I am doing with
building a fence at the top of
a cliff rather than keeping^
a fancy ambulance'
at the bottom
pick up people
"Preventive
is becoming
important
illness I
traced to,
tobacco
obesity,
nate these
things and
much healthier
medicine
much more
Almost all
see can be
.alcohol,
and
E1 i mi-
three
we would be a
society," he noted.
12,000 to get tobacco survey
RANDOLPH AFB, TEXAS (AFNS) — Approx-
imately 12,000 Air Force men and women will
receive a survey on the use of tobacco products
during August, according to Air Force Military
Personnel Center officials.
The survey is expected to be the first in a
series to be conducted annually for the duration
of the Defense Department's anti-smoking cam-
paign. The survey will be administered by the
Consolidated Base Personnel office and will be
distributed by random sample according to
grade.
People receiving the survey should complete
it as soon as possible and return it to the survey
control officer.
August 8, 1986 The White Falcon
7