The Peter Jennings effect causing more smokers to quit
Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 11:03 am
More smokers resolve to quit
Calls for help increased after Peter Jennings' death
By MICHAEL PRECKER / The Dallas Morning News
Peter Jennings, killed by lung cancer that he attributed to cigarettes, is the latest celebrity who wanted people to learn from his mistake.
In his on-air farewell in April, the ABC newscaster lamented having smoked for many years. His friends and admirers hope his death Sunday at age 67 will spur others to kick the habit."If you have kids who are smoking, for heaven's sake, tell them that we lost Peter," ABC's Barbara Walters said in one of many on-air tributes that emphasized the dangers of tobacco.
From the model who posed as the Marlboro Man to actor Yul Brynner, from Nat King Cole to George Harrison, the deaths of famous smokers have inspired people to swear off cigarettes, with mixed results. Can Peter Jennings' death really make a difference?
At the American Cancer Society Quitline, a telephone counseling service for people who want to quit smoking, counselor Jo Strane started hearing the term "wake-up call" as soon as news broke that Mr. Jennings had died.
"They say they're sad Peter Jennings is gone and that it really puts humanity behind the facts and statistics," Ms. Strane says.
Quitline, which is based in Austin, receives more than 1 million calls a year. The American Cancer Society said the service logged 50 percent more calls on Monday and Tuesday, after news broke of Mr. Jennings' death, than it had on those days last week.
The American Lung Association, which runs an online counseling program called Freedom From Smoking, reported that about 2,500 people had signed up for the service this week, more than double the usual number for this time of year.
Ms. Strane recounts the comments of some Quitline callers: "This makes my commitment stronger," "I really wasn't paying attention till now" and "I've been planning to quit, and now's a good time."
"He's really made this an issue of concern," she says.
William Smith, a Dallas hypnotist, says he got four calls in a day "from people who want to stop smoking because of Peter Jennings."
The consequences of cigarettes are hardly a revelation, he says. "But sometimes people just don't grasp it until they hear a name they recognize. We think we're invulnerable, but then we think, 'If it can happen to him, maybe I need to take another look at this.' "
At ABCNews.com, where thousands of people have written tributes to Mr. Jennings, there are similar vows.
"I'm only 20, but Peter's death sealed it for me," one person wrote.
"Since the day he passed I decided that it was time to stop smoking," wrote another.
"I gave 'em up after 25 years," one smoker declared. "Peter Jennings' death was the deal-breaker for me."
'Epiphany moment'
However strong his intention, the writer had been off cigarettes for just three days. Can his resolve stay firm enough to break one of mankind's toughest addictions? The answer, says addiction specialist Scott Walters, is maybe.
"We used to think of motivation as being like a padlock," says Dr. Walters, an assistant professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. "There was one particular thing that was a key, and if you could find the right key, it would click open."
Instead, he says, envision a combination lock, where a number of factors have to be aligned just right.
"Rather than thinking about Peter Jennings' death as an epiphany moment, maybe it's the one additional thing that combines with other things, and the lock snaps open," Dr. Walters says.
He thinks the cigarette habit is so hard to break because it's so ingrained in a smoker's life. Do the math: a pack (20 cigarettes) a day, 10 puffs per cigarette, 365 days a year.
"That's 73,000 reinforced behaviors a year," Dr. Walters says. "So everything reminds them of smoking – waking up, being with friends, having coffee, being on the phone – and everything is a cue to smoke."
Plenty of options
The good news is that people who want to quit have many options, including medication, support groups, therapy, acupuncture, gradually cutting back or toughing it out cold turkey.
"If people pick from a menu rather than being told what to do, they're more likely to do it," Dr. Walters says.
Like most people trying to change their habits, they're also likely to fail before they finally succeed.
"You may go around the wheel a few times," Dr. Walters says. "But trying is better than not trying."
Ms. Strane agrees, even though she knows that some of her callers inspired by Mr. Jennings' death today may be smoking again tomorrow.
"It takes courage even to take that first step," she says. "Even if only a few people succeed this time, it does make a difference."
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WHAT IF YOU QUIT?
According to the U.S. surgeon general, this is what happens after your last cigarette:
20 minutes: Your blood pressure drops.
8 hours: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops back to normal.
24 hours: Your chance of a heart attack decreases.
2 weeks to 3 months: Your circulation improves and lung function increases.
1 to 9 months: Your coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease.
1 year: Your added risk of heart disease is half that of a smoker.
5 to 15 years: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker.
10 years: Your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker.
15 years: Your risk of heart disease is back to that of a nonsmoker.
Calls for help increased after Peter Jennings' death
By MICHAEL PRECKER / The Dallas Morning News
Peter Jennings, killed by lung cancer that he attributed to cigarettes, is the latest celebrity who wanted people to learn from his mistake.
In his on-air farewell in April, the ABC newscaster lamented having smoked for many years. His friends and admirers hope his death Sunday at age 67 will spur others to kick the habit."If you have kids who are smoking, for heaven's sake, tell them that we lost Peter," ABC's Barbara Walters said in one of many on-air tributes that emphasized the dangers of tobacco.
From the model who posed as the Marlboro Man to actor Yul Brynner, from Nat King Cole to George Harrison, the deaths of famous smokers have inspired people to swear off cigarettes, with mixed results. Can Peter Jennings' death really make a difference?
At the American Cancer Society Quitline, a telephone counseling service for people who want to quit smoking, counselor Jo Strane started hearing the term "wake-up call" as soon as news broke that Mr. Jennings had died.
"They say they're sad Peter Jennings is gone and that it really puts humanity behind the facts and statistics," Ms. Strane says.
Quitline, which is based in Austin, receives more than 1 million calls a year. The American Cancer Society said the service logged 50 percent more calls on Monday and Tuesday, after news broke of Mr. Jennings' death, than it had on those days last week.
The American Lung Association, which runs an online counseling program called Freedom From Smoking, reported that about 2,500 people had signed up for the service this week, more than double the usual number for this time of year.
Ms. Strane recounts the comments of some Quitline callers: "This makes my commitment stronger," "I really wasn't paying attention till now" and "I've been planning to quit, and now's a good time."
"He's really made this an issue of concern," she says.
William Smith, a Dallas hypnotist, says he got four calls in a day "from people who want to stop smoking because of Peter Jennings."
The consequences of cigarettes are hardly a revelation, he says. "But sometimes people just don't grasp it until they hear a name they recognize. We think we're invulnerable, but then we think, 'If it can happen to him, maybe I need to take another look at this.' "
At ABCNews.com, where thousands of people have written tributes to Mr. Jennings, there are similar vows.
"I'm only 20, but Peter's death sealed it for me," one person wrote.
"Since the day he passed I decided that it was time to stop smoking," wrote another.
"I gave 'em up after 25 years," one smoker declared. "Peter Jennings' death was the deal-breaker for me."
'Epiphany moment'
However strong his intention, the writer had been off cigarettes for just three days. Can his resolve stay firm enough to break one of mankind's toughest addictions? The answer, says addiction specialist Scott Walters, is maybe.
"We used to think of motivation as being like a padlock," says Dr. Walters, an assistant professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. "There was one particular thing that was a key, and if you could find the right key, it would click open."
Instead, he says, envision a combination lock, where a number of factors have to be aligned just right.
"Rather than thinking about Peter Jennings' death as an epiphany moment, maybe it's the one additional thing that combines with other things, and the lock snaps open," Dr. Walters says.
He thinks the cigarette habit is so hard to break because it's so ingrained in a smoker's life. Do the math: a pack (20 cigarettes) a day, 10 puffs per cigarette, 365 days a year.
"That's 73,000 reinforced behaviors a year," Dr. Walters says. "So everything reminds them of smoking – waking up, being with friends, having coffee, being on the phone – and everything is a cue to smoke."
Plenty of options
The good news is that people who want to quit have many options, including medication, support groups, therapy, acupuncture, gradually cutting back or toughing it out cold turkey.
"If people pick from a menu rather than being told what to do, they're more likely to do it," Dr. Walters says.
Like most people trying to change their habits, they're also likely to fail before they finally succeed.
"You may go around the wheel a few times," Dr. Walters says. "But trying is better than not trying."
Ms. Strane agrees, even though she knows that some of her callers inspired by Mr. Jennings' death today may be smoking again tomorrow.
"It takes courage even to take that first step," she says. "Even if only a few people succeed this time, it does make a difference."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT IF YOU QUIT?
According to the U.S. surgeon general, this is what happens after your last cigarette:
20 minutes: Your blood pressure drops.
8 hours: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops back to normal.
24 hours: Your chance of a heart attack decreases.
2 weeks to 3 months: Your circulation improves and lung function increases.
1 to 9 months: Your coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease.
1 year: Your added risk of heart disease is half that of a smoker.
5 to 15 years: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker.
10 years: Your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker.
15 years: Your risk of heart disease is back to that of a nonsmoker.
