November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.
With 1 in 16 people in the United States being diagnosed with lung cancer at some point in their lifetime,1 this annual health month is a reminder that this problem is widespread. If you want to get involved with Lung Cancer Awareness Month 2020, there are several things you can do. If you have personal experience battling lung cancer or know someone who has been diagnosed with lung cancer, share your story. If smoking were the cause, it could act as a warning for others. You can also donate to research organizations that are studying this disease and its treatment. Currently, the 5-year survival rate for people diagnosed with lung cancer is only 19%.2 If you are a smoker, now is a good time to quit.
Quit Smoking During Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Cigarettes are one of the leading causes of lung cancer. In fact, in the United States, it is estimated that cigarette smoking is connected to 80 to 90% of lung cancer deaths.3 Other tobacco products can also lead to the development of lung cancer. If you are a smoker, this statistic alone is one good reason to quit.
Not only are cigarettes harmful to your health and a prominent cause of lung cancer, but they also come with other potential and serious dangers. Nicotine is addictive, which is why it is so hard to quit smoking. Often considered a gateway drug, nicotine use may also increase a person’s chance of trying and becoming addicted to other drugs. One study found that over 87.9% of cocaine users from age 18 to 34 had smoked cigarettes before turning to the drug. Only 3.5% of these people had used cocaine first.4 This suggests that cigarette use may make someone more likely to try cocaine. Unfortunately like nicotine, cocaine is addictive and most people need the help of professional substance abuse treatment centers to stop.
Whether you’ve never turned to harder drugs or you already got residential addiction treatment and are now sober, if you are a smoker, Lung Cancer Awareness Month is a good time to finally quit for good. While it may be challenging, the benefits of quitting certainly outweigh the negatives of continuing.
At Banyan Treatment Centers, we have a 30-day quit smoking challenge that encourages people in recovery to quit smoking at the same time they are going through treatment. This means that after an admittedly tough 30 days, you could not only have gotten sober but also quit smoking as well.
Your happier and healthier future could just be a call away. Reach out to us now at 888-280-4763 for more information.
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