Freeman campuses go tobacco-free

For 35 years, Freeman Executive Director of Regional Services Mickey Mitchell has been smoking. That all changed late last week in response to Freeman Health System and other hospitals in Missouri going tobacco-free.

" I had quit smoking a long time ago, and started back up about 11 to 12 years ago," Mitchell said. "When Freeman announced that they were going tobacco free (back in March), I just mentally started to prepare myself to quit smoking."

The tobacco-free policy is in response to regulation set forth by the state of Missouri prohibiting discount cigarettes online products at any hospital. The use of tobacco products by staff, patients and visitors is prohibited at these hospital facilities and outlying offices.

According to a press release from Freeman Health System, tobacco continues to be the number one cause of preventable and premature death in the United States.

To help their employees with not smoking on the Freeman campuses, a class entitled "Live Nicotine Free," provided by the Ozark Center is offered.

" We have offered classes to help the employees," Freeman Health System Director of Human Resources Deborah Chiodo said. "We have even had people doing the patches and losenges."

During the program, it outlines "The 5 Ds" that can help smokers live without nicotine. They are:

Drink water - slowly sip water (up to eight glasses a day). The water helps flush nicotine out of the body.

Deep breathe - take 10 slow deep breaths. Deep breathing will help you feel relaxed and in control.

Do something else - focus on doing something besides smoking. The idea is not think about cigarettes at all.

Discuss - talk to friends or family members about what you are going though. Tell them how you feel. Sharing your thoughts will help.

Delay - allow some time. Don't reach for a cheap cigarettes immediately when you think about it. Instead, count to 200 and then to 250. The urge to smoke passes in three to five minutes.

"Since I quit, I have been chewing nicotine gum, but I have heard that chewing cinnamon gum and drinking water is a good way to help," Mitchell said. "I will try that."

According to information found on the Internet and a previous article in the Neosho Daily News, "the nicotine in cigarette smoke causes an addiction to smoking. Nicotine is an addictive drug just like heroin and cocaine for a couple of reasons: When taken in small amounts, nicotine creates pleasant feelings that make the smoker want more; and because nicotine affects the chemistry of the brain and central nervous system, it can affect the mood and nature of the smoker. Smokers do suffer some physical withdrawal symptoms when they do stop smoking: Headaches, trouble sleeping and nervousness."

Among United States adults, cigarette smoking has declined from about 42 percent of the population in 1995 to about 21 percent in 2004. About 45 million adults smoked cigarettes in 2004, with 23 percent of men and 19 percent of women.

With the hospitals starting the trend of not smoking on property, Mitchell stated "I think that eventually you will see ordinances everyone, such as restaurants, bars and outside in public places."

Some states and cities have gone smoke free in restaurants and bars, including California.

"A few of my friends and colleagues have stated that they are quitting smoking," Mitchell added.