"Kick Butts" is a national day of recognition on March 21 for parents, teachers and elected officials, who protect the health and well-being of children, encouraging them to stand up and be advocates for the youth in our community to stop using tobacco.
We need to speak up and empower youth to STOP using tobacco by teaching and raising awareness about the dangers of using it. We want to encourage healthy lifestyles and stand together against tobacco use.
This can be a long and difficult journey for all involved. I should know--my father was a smoker who had a difficult time, and failed at, giving up cigarettes.
At the age of 18, my father was a young man when he started smoking cigarettes. He was a normal, healthy, good looking man, and as a Soldier, eager to serve his country. He described his smoking as a social form of interaction with his buddies, and he once said something I'll never forget.
"It's a man thing. We get together, play cards have a few beers and smoke," he shared with me once. "How can that be a bad thing?"
It wasn't until many years later, after being wounded by a gunshot blast that cost him his right lung, he considered giving up cigarettes. This was his first of many efforts to give up his nicotine addiction. He admitted to multiple attempts at trying to kick the habit only to give excuse after excuse why he could never be successful.
His first try was cold turkey at age 40, telling us, "I can STOP anytime I want." That lasted nine days. His justification was, "I just wasn't ready to quit."
He continued to smoke for another 10 years after being told by his doctor, "You need to give up smoking, especially with all of your other medical issues." By this time he had a diagnosis of emphysema and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
He agreed to try a medication to help with smoking cessation. After taking the prescribed medication for two weeks he stopped due to reported side effects. He continued smoking.
After 24 more years of smoking at around age 72, he was always incredibly short of breath and used a walker to get around in his home, used home/portable oxygen to help him with activities of daily living and he was taking prescribed medications for his heart and lung problems. Don't forget--your heart is just at risk when you smoke as your lungs.
He didn't like to discuss options about giving up cigarettes so he began to lie about smoking. But after we caught and confronted him multiple times he would become angry and tell us--his loved ones, "Leave me alone."
We felt like we failed. We weren't able to help our father whom we dearly loved, give up this deadly addiction to cigarettes. Sadly, he died four years later.
It's a hard lesson--to wonder if there was something you could have done or said to help your loved one STOP their addition to cigarettes and nicotine.
From personal experience, my advice is, Never Give Up. Always try, and always pray, for a solution to encourage the folks we care about to quit--kick the butts.
If you are a smoker I ask you this, "When will you be ready to 'Kick Butts?'" When will you be ready to ask for the resources we have available to help you give up this addiction and never look back?
You can call or stop by Army Public Health Nursing clinic at Ireland Army Health Clinic--we are on the 4th floor, Room number 4-51--to talk to us. Or you can call 502-624-0563 to schedule your appointment. We won't judge!!
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