Photo By Beverly A Joyner | Tobacco cessation brochures are displayed at the Shellbank Fitness Center at Joint...... read more read more
Subscribe
At the beginning of a new year, many people like to make resolutions and set goals to improve their lives. Some of the most popular resolutions include quit smoking, lose weight, travel and spend more time with family.
The 633rd Aerospace Medicine Squadron’s Health Promotion Tobacco Cessation Program is available to assist Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia community members who need help with their resolution to stop tobacco use.
According to Monica Richardson, 633rd AMDS health promotion coordinator, the program is a 12-week process and participants can register for the one-time enrollment class by calling the Health Promotion office. The class is held biweekly from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Aerospace and Operational Physiology building.
“Addiction to tobacco is three pronged, including physical addiction, psychological and habit,” said Richardson. “You need to figure out how to track your habit and you have to come up with strategies on what you’re going to do instead.”
During the initial class, topics include behavior modification techniques, prescription medication therapy, health risks associated with tobacco use and an oral health briefing conducted by the 633rd Dental Squadron.
In addition, individual appointments are available for shift workers and others who are unable to attend the initial enrollment class. Participants can self-refer and all follow-ups are conducted by telephone.
According to Richardson, tobacco use is trending downward within the Air Force and Langley Air Force Base has the lowest tobacco use rate within Air Combat Command, at 12 percent for active duty members.
For people who choose to quit with prescription medication, it takes about 12 weeks to completely break the tobacco use habit.
“Medicines help with the physical craving so participants can work on the behavior modification part,” said Richardson. “You can quit as often as you need to. It usually takes most people four to five serious quit attempts before they are 100 percent tobacco free.”
Other helpful class topics include setting a quit date, reasons for quitting, internal motivation, identifying triggers, getting rid of temptations, mechanisms for coping with stress and strategies on what to focus on instead of using tobacco.
According to U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. John Utsinger, 633rd Security Forces Squadron first sergeant, who has smoked for almost 20 years and is currently enrolled in the smoking cessation program, the program has helped him to identify his trigger points and develop alternatives to overcome psychological hurdles.
“The facilitators were phenomenal, carefully explaining not only the many negatives of tobacco use but also providing positive alternatives,” said Utsinger. “They took the time to answer everybody’s questions and helped each attendee customize a quit plan.”
The tobacco cessation program is open to Department of Defense cardholders at JBLE, while TRICARE beneficiaries are authorized two medication-based quit attempts per year.
For more information about the tobacco cessation program or to register for upcoming classes, call the Health Promotion office at 764-6321.
| Date Taken: | 01.11.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.01.2017 14:50 |
| Story ID: | 222183 |
| Location: | LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 87 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Tobacco cessation program helps kick habit, by Beverly A Joyner, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT