While raising money to fight cancer, jump-off the cigarettes

JOANIE FOGEL

February 01, 2008 at 1:55PM AKST

For The Seward Phoenix Log

For the past 23 years, Seward has hosted the Polar Bear Jump-Off Festival, with the purpose of raising money for the American Cancer Society.

Few attending, organizing, plunging or volunteering for this worthy event are unaffected by cancer. So it struck me as surprising when I attended my first plunge four years ago that so many spectators in the dense crowd were smoking. Not only that, but some of the rescue workers lit up as well.

According to the American Cancer Society:

• Lung cancers killed more than 162,000 people in the United States in 2006 – making it the leading cause of cancer deaths.

• Lung cancer kills more than the next three most common cancers – colon, breast and prostate – combined.

About 90 percent of all lung cancers are caused by smoking.

Cigarette smoking accounts for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths. It is a major cause of cancers of the lung, larynx, oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus and bladder, and it contributes to the development of cancers of the pancreas, cervix, kidney, stomach and also some leukemias.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women and is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. Lung cancer is a disease that can in many cases be prevented.

Indeed, tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death, and secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

I think preventing suffering, preventing cancer and finding a cure is why we hold this event each year.

Beating nicotine is a difficult thing to do. For most smokers, cigarettes/spit tobacco has a strong physical and behavioral hold.

Your body becomes so dependent on nicotine and the activities associated with smoking or chewing; it’s often extremely difficult to quit. We understand this and are here to help.

For information on smoking cessation methods contact Alaska’s Tobacco Quit Line, (888) 842-QUIT (7848).

Joanie Fogel is a Seward resident and a tobacco prevention educator.