New Study Confirms Non-Smokers Have Less Stress

A press release on Newswise.com Wednesday the 7^th, reinforces a reason less important than your health but still beneficial for making the choice not to smoke. The December issue of the Journal of Public Health will publish research done by a team in Australia. A research group of 5,699 people who were either smokers or previous smokers were interviewed about their smoking habits and their finances. The study was geared to evaluate stress that came from using money to buy cigarettes when the smokers said they did not have the money for household bills. The previous six months was the time frame that was used as the criteria. Seventy one % of the current smokers stated that they experience stress because of money spent on cigarettes, while only 49.6% of the persons who no longer smoked stated that they were still experiencing financial stress. According to the researchers, one of the primary concerns smokers have when they contemplate trying to quit smoking is the cost of a smoking cessation program. Some smokers were surprised that the smoking cessation program would not cost as much as buying the cigarettes.

A related press release on Newswise.com states that according to Gregory Kalemkerian, M.D., co-director of thoracic oncology at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, 213,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer every year and there are more than 160,000 fatalities from lung cancer each year. The press release states that lung cancer still causes more fatalities than the combines fatalities of colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer. Kalemkerian states, "The biggest problem is that most people are diagnosed late, because early stage symptoms are common to smokers". He will be speaking at the Wellness Community at 2010 Hogback Road Suite 3 in Ann Arbor Michigan on Tuesday November 27 from 6-8pm. The subject will be "Together Facing Lung Cancer". This is part of an on-going program connected with The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

More information on cancer and cancer prevention can be found on the
American Cancer Society site.

As part of Lung Cancer Awareness Month (November), Thursday November 15 is The Great American Smoke-Out. It is appropriate that the Great American Smoke-Out be "celebrated" in this month, which is also Diabetes Awareness Month. Diabetes and smoking have been linked physically. In a study done in 2004 by John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and published by the American Journal of Epidemiology, smoking was shown to be a risk factor for type 2 Diabetes.

This is the website for the Great American Smoke-out. There are helpful tips, as well as a 24-hour a day hot-line

Sources used:
Newswise.com #535228 Smokers Who Quit Have Less Money Stress
American Journal of Epidemiology -Cigarette Smoking and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Among Middle-aged and Elderly Japanese Men and Women

Newswise.com #535277 The Top Killer Cancer You Don't Know About: November Marks Lung Cancer Awareness Month