Cancer Control Meeting
Friday was our quarterly Cancer Control meeting. This is a group appointed by the legislature in NC to advise on cancer issues. Our main presentation was on lung cancer. Surprisingly, about 25-30% of lung cancer is in non-smokers. One of our speakers was a 22-year old lung cancer survivor that had never smoked a single cigarette! She was a lovely young girl and hopefully she will be one of the lucky ones.The speakers talked about how often we ignore fund raising for lung cancer–even though it is the #1 cancer killer of men and women–because we feel they brought it on themselves by smoking.
I once read an article by Ray Charles, the wonderfully talented blind musician. He talked about being addicted to many things during his life. Heroine, alcohol, and cigarettes. Hands down, he said, cigarettes was the hardest to kick and the pull lasted the longest time. He spoke of going years without smoking, just to be “compelled” to smoke just one, years later. We all know where that leads…
Personally I have a problem with chocolate. If it is in my house, it is in my mouth. The stores are full and it is always waiting to ensnare you when you are waiting in line. You never have to search for chocolate. If you have half a yearning, it will be in your buggy before you leave the store. Cigarettes are similarly placed to play into our weak moments.
For me, cigarettes and other tobacco products being for sale in drug stores is just plain wrong. How can they call themselves a health care facility and sell the most deadly item in our society? If we made it just a bit more difficult for cigarette “addicts” to find their fix, would it save lives?
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