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Smokers Have Second Chance To Kick Habit [07/14-5]

Excerpts from: Second chance to kick the habit

By Roy Moreland McAlester News-Capital [7/12/03]

A few weeks ago the Centers for Medicare Services brought a pilot program forward to be tried in seven states, Oklahoma being one of them. This was a trial or test to see how much benefit a stop smoking program would offer seniors.

Smoking poses a significant health threat to people 65 and older. Smoking contributes to chronic illnesses such as heart disease, lung disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis. Tobacco use was responsible for 430,000 deaths in 1990, and 70 percent of these deaths were in people age 65 and older (Centers for Disease Control, 1993). A new program is available for seniors with Medicare who smoke and want to quit. For a limited time, Oklahoma seniors may participate in the Medicare Stop Smoking Program.

Older smokers reap many benefits from quitting, even after 30 years or more of heavy smoking. Seniors experience improvement in circulation and breathing soon after quitting. In fact, seniors reduce their risks for heart disease and stroke to that of a nonsmoker within one year to five years of quitting. Smokers who quit also experience improved functional status and quality of life.The Medicare Stop Smoking Program is a demonstration project aimed at identifying successful approaches to help older Americans quit smoking.

This program is sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services to study approaches to help seniors stop smoking. As a part of the demonstration project, a variety of services are offered to help seniors who want to quit. These services may include counseling, drugs that help seniors quit, such as nicotine patches, special consumer booklets, and a telephone information line staffed by professional counselors. The Medicare Stop Smoking Program is a great way for seniors to take control of their own health and quality of life. Seniors who are interested in quitting smoking may join the program from now until Sept. 30, 2003. Seniors interested in joining the program must be 65 or older, have Medicare Part B coverage, be in the Medicare fee-for-service program, must live in one of the seven states that offers the program (Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Ohio, Nebraska and Wyoming)) and must be a smoker with a sincere desire to quit.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is offering this new project. Results will be used to understand how to best help seniors help themselves stop smoking.

Oklahoma seniors who would like more information about the Medicare Stop Smoking Program demonstration project should call TrailBlazer Health Enterprises at toll-free (866) 65BEGIN. That's (866) 652-3446.

Smoking is the single most preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. It can cause and worsen many conditions including heart attack, stroke, lung disease, high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes complications.