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advocacy Long time smoker nears ten months without cigarettes, with Society support When Dave Fair, the host on Eastern Michigan University's WEMU FM 89.1 Morning Edition, first learned of the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout, he was willing to professionally promote the program on the air but didn't take the invitation to quit smoking for a day to heart. "I paid no attention to it," he admitted. 
Dave says that his longest relationship has been with cigarettes: "It was the one thing in my life that was constant and never let me down." Over a period of a couple years, he experimented with different quitting methods: gum, laser therapy, even hypnosis, but nothing worked. Then, after about 30 years of smoking, he made a serious decision to quit. He knew the dangers of smoking and was beginning to see the risks become reality. "I was starting to have trouble breathing," he recalled, for even minor physical activity. On top of that, his family members were expressing concern, including his two daughters who asked that he stopped smoking for each Christmas and birthday. He came up with the idea to quit publicly on his radio show. "The risk of public humiliation was exactly what I needed to make it over the hump," he said. He also put support systems in place. He enlisted the help of a personal trainer, nutritionist, counselor, the Snow Health Center of Eastern Michigan University, the Michigan Surgeon General, and the American Cancer Society. "All of these support systems were necessary, it was what I had to do," he said. Some of this support came with a fee, but the cost replaced the money he would spend on cigarettes. "You have to spend money to make money," he explained. "I had to spend money to make sure that I was going to live." On February 6, 2005, he launched the "Quit with Dave" campaign, and is nearing his ten month anniversary of giving up cigarettes. "One day at a time, I plan to not smoke," he said. He found that exercise helps to take his mind off of smoking, and works out an average of four days a week. "It has been the most difficult and the most rewarding experience that I've gone through," he said. For other people who have made the decision that it is time to quit smoking, Dave stresses the importance of being proactive in seeking out help. A variety of health departments and your American Cancer Society can provide support. If you smoke and want to quit, make any day your personal Great American Smokeout. To learn about how the American Cancer Society can help, call 800-ACS-2345. | |
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