The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has kicked off its new Tips From Former Smokerscampaign in Utah and around the Nation. People are being reminded of the health risks of smoking and also myths about e-cigarettes. Senior Medical Officer, Dr. Tim McAfee, said that "vaping," the use of e-cigarettes, is being aggressively marketed as a way to help smokers quit, although the research so far shows it does not help.
"The 2010 Surgeon General’s Report found that fewer cigarettes per day does not reduce cardiovascular disease," McAfee said. "And that the only way to stop the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is to quit smoking completely."
The anti-smoking campaign features television and radio spots, online images and video and print components bearing testimonials from former smokers dealing with major health problems and directs smokers to call the quit line (1-800-QUIT-NOW).
Julia is one of the former smokers in this year’s campaign. She details her life after colon cancer, which she connects to more than 30-years of smoking, starting as a teenager.
"It wasn’t just about the physical pain and suffering I endured," Julia said. "It was also the fear and sadness I saw in my family that hurt almost more than the cancer itself."
Other former smokers, sharing their stories, talk about rectal cancer, lung cancer and age-related macular degeneration.