DR. WALLACE: Both my parents and my older brother are addicted to tobacco. All three of them want to stop smoking for three reasons: for their health, to save money and to keep me from hounding them to eliminate tobacco from their lives.
All three of them have quit smoking several times, but something eventually triggers their smoking habit and they light up again. A lot of smokers I know have tried to quit, but have gone back to lighting up. My dad said he is destined to smoke until the day he dies because he is too addicted to stop.
I know this isn't true, but I want to convince him that with willpower he can become an ex-smoker. Are there any statistics that show how many times a person tries to quit smoking then finally succeeds? If so, there will still be hope that dear old dad, sweet mother and misguided big brother can eventually be smoke-free. — Second hand sister, Des Moines, Iowa
SISTER: It's rare for a smoker to quit successfully — that is, permanently — on his or her first try. Many people have to keep trying and trying, often over the course of multiple years.
No one should be disappointed when the first (or the fifth) attempt to quit ultimately doesn't work out. Each attempt builds the momentum and desire to quit, and only when that desire is stronger than the desire to smoke will the person be successful.
The American Cancer Society says that its "Fresh Start" program has a 27 percent success rate for quitting smoking, while The Lung Association has a "Freedom from Smoking" program that claims success 28 percent of the time. As these statistics show, nicotine is a powerfully addictive drug; it's extremely difficult to stop craving it.
Don't give up! Keep pounding all three of your family members until they are smoke-free. It can and will happen. Both the Cancer Society and The Lung Association report that smokers need outside help and support. Fewer than 7 percent who try to stop using tobacco on their own are successful. Those who utilize pier pressure in a good way have a higher percentage rate for success in breaking this nasty habit.
U.S. CONSUMES OVER HALF OF ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS
DR. WALLACE: I read recently on line about all the illegal drugs that are smuggled into the United States. I know the reason is that "importers" of illegal drugs make lots of money — and there sadly is a huge market for illegal drugs here in America. What I want to know is do Americans smuggle drugs into other countries? — Curious, via email
CURIOUS: It appears that all of the drugs that are grown or manufactured in the U.S. basically stay in the U.S. All countries in the world are plagued by the use of illegal drugs, but the problem in the United States far outdistances other countries.
According to the department of Health and Human Services, the United States has only a small fraction of the world's population, yet we consume over half of all illegal drugs worldwide. This is why illegal drug "exporters" and "importers" zero in on the U.S. Illegal drug market.
Our national illegal drug consumption is an overpowering and disgusting statistic! Hopefully, as our newer generations focus more on health, organic food and the environment, they will also focus on saying no to harmful substances that hurt so many people. Only when the demand for illicit substances subsides will the flow of the actual substances slow as well.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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