Persuasive Letter

NUR/405

May 23, 2011

Persuasive Letter 1

Persuasive Letter

The editor,

The Windshield survey conducted in Winter garden community revealed that many people in

the community smoke cigarettes. Tobacco is the number one killer of people in the United

States. More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by HIV, illegal drugs, alcohol use,

and accidents. According to Florida Department of Health (2008), 16.5% of Whites, 7.5% of

African Americans, and 17.9% of Hispanics in Orange County are smokers. Secondhand tobacco

smoke kills more than 35,000 people in the United States each year. Tobacco contains more than

4000 chemicals such as nicotine and carbon monoxide and 60 of these are known to cause

cancer. Nicotine is an addictive drug and it affects many parts of the body. Nicotine tightens the

blood veins and raises blood pressure. Cigarette smoke kills lung tissues and lead to asthma,

emphysema, and lung cancer. Nicotine increases acid in stomach and can cause stomach ulcers.

In men, smoking may cause sterility and impotence and in women, smoking can lead to cervical

cancer. Secondhand smoke is smoke inhaled by non-smokers. Nonsmokers, who breathe in

second-hand smoke, are at a high risk for developing heart disease or lung disease. Babies, who

live in a house with a smoker, have higher risks of lung disease and sudden infant death

syndrome. Harmful chemicals in the blood cross the placenta and may cause miscarriage,

stillbirth, infant death, and sudden infant death syndrome. Parents, who smoke are more likely to

have children who smoke (Florida Department of Health, 2008). Tobacco use is a major

preventable cause of premature death and disease worldwide. “Currently, approximately 5.4

million people die each year due to tobacco-related illnesses- a figure expected to increase to

more than 8 million a year by 2030” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011, para.1).

Tobacco dependence is a chronic condition, which requires repeated interventions. Effective

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treatments and helpful resources are available to help chronic smokers. The purpose of this letter

is to initiate community based tobacco prevention program and to eliminate this problem.

Research studies form a framework for evidence-based practice. Sigma Theta Tau sponsored

many research studies on smoking cessation techniques. Honor society member Melnyk reported

on the effectiveness and impact of different smoking cessation techniques, including placebo

versus nicotine interventions, midwife motivation of pregnant women, prevention programs for

children and teens, interventions for lung disease inpatients, and workplace programs. “The

experimental intervention consisted of individual counseling, support by nurses during

hospitalization, and nicotine replacement therapy and a caring relationships with the patients

were established. Group teaching about lifestyles, including relaxation techniques and stress

management and weekly support groups were part of the program. Rate of patients reported

continuous abstinence from smoking were 39% when contacted one year after discharge from

the hospital. No relationships existed between abstinence, nicotine dependency, the number of

times the participants tried to quit, length of hospital stay, and smokers’ readiness to quit.

Increase noted in patients’ readiness to quit, and at the end of the program nicotine dependence

decreased significantly. No gender differences noted in outcomes. No significant differences

noted between the control and experimental groups on diminishing the number of cigarettes

smoked per day or smoking cessation (Melnyk, 2005). Another study published in the Journal of

Nursing Scholarship revealed that smoking cessation success rates increases by more than two

times by listening to a 20-minute guided imagery audiotape. The guided imagery group achieved

26% abstinence rate after 24 months when 12% abstinence rate noted in the placebo-control

group (Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 2011).

The Healthy People 2010 educational objectives emphasize the importance of educating

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various populations about health promotion activities such as avoiding cigarette smoking

(Lancaster & Stanhope, 2008). Smoking can damage every organ of the body, and may cause

diseases and affect the general health of smokers. Quitting tobacco smoking has long-term and

immediate benefits. Research studies show that 20 minutes after stopping smoking the blood

pressure and pulse drops to normal. If a smoker does not smoke for 24 hours, his or her chance

of developing a heart attack decreases. If the smoker can quit smoking for two to three months,

the blood flow gets better, walking becomes easier, and lung use increases up to 30%. The risk or

developing coronary artery disease becomes half in one year after stopping smoking and in two

years the risk of heart attack drops to near normal. The risk for developing heart disease is the

same for an ex-smoker (no smoking for 15 years) as it is for a person who has never smoked.

Stopping tobacco use can decrease the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),

which is a leading cause of death in the United States. Quitting smoking during reproductive

years may reduce women’s infertility risk. Stopping smoking during pregnancy, also decrease

women’s risk delivering a low birth weight baby. Considering these facts I strongly recommend

the initiation of a tobacco prevention program in Winter garden community.

The goals of the tobacco prevention program in the community should include prevention of

tobacco use initiation, promotion of smoking cessation, elimination of secondhand smoke

exposure, and creation and maintenance of effective partnerships. Preventing the initiation of

tobacco use among youth is an important aspect of tobacco prevention and control. Mass media

campaigns are effective ways to decrease tobacco use in youth. School programs can reduce

smoking among children to a greater extent. Targeting young people in smoking prevention

efforts is beneficial because majority of smokers start before the age of 21. Tracking students

under 18 who uses or sell tobacco on school grounds, on school transportation, or at school-

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sponsored events is also important. This tobacco control program should include education about

prevention of tobacco exposure. Schoolteachers, school nurses, public health professionals, and

religious leaders in the community can initiate this program. Making and leaving booklets and

handouts about the bad effects of tobacco on body and smoking cessation tips in schools,

universities, and other public places is also helpful in controlling tobacco use. Intervention

programs done in schools are the best ways to influence smoking behavior. Health providers,

who can deliver these types of interventions in a better way are school nurses.

Evidences show that individually provided interventions such as individual counseling,

nicotine replacement, and advice from a health professional and are very successful. Making the

community people aware of available programs and resources is also should be a part of this

program. The resources include American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention, and Healthy Start program. Creating partnership with

Florida Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also beneficial.

The key concept of education program is creating self-awareness and willingness to stop

smoking in current smokers and motivate them to stop their health destroying behavior. The

program should encourage individuals to select a method to quit smoking that work the best for

them. Education also should include withdrawal symptoms that occur when stopping tobacco use

at once and the methods to manage the withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms begin within 24

hours. Withdrawal symptoms include headaches, tiredness, coughing, trouble sleeping and lack

of concentration, constipation, and irritability. Exercising, taking zips of water, resting and

relaxing, consuming high fiber food, and keeping appositive attitude helps to control withdrawal

symptoms. Teaching the smokers about medicines that can help to stop tobacco use is also

important. Nicotine alternative therapies such as patches, chewing gum, lozenges, and inhalers

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are helpful. Some individuals may benefit from behavior modification including dipping or

chewing with a bad feeling, placing a wide rubber band on the wrist and giving it a snap each

time the individual want to smoke.

I assure you that this program will be a successful one if the initiatives taken with proper

funding and partnerships. Public health workers, school nurses, teachers, and religious leaders in

the community can promote the initiatives.

Yours sincerely,

Ruby Joseph.

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References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Global Tobacco control. Retrieved from

http//: www. Cdc.gov

Florida Department of Health. (2008). Florida Tobacco Prevention and Control County Data

Profile: Orange. Retrieved from

http//:www.doh.state.fl.us/tobacco/PDF_CountyDataProfiles/Orange.pdf

Lancaster, J. & Stanhope, M. (2008). Public Health Nursing: Population-Centered Health Care

in the Community. Retrieved from University of Phoenix eBook Collection database

Melnyk, B. (2005). The latest evidence on smoking cessation interventions with diverse

populations. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 2(4), 212-216. Retrieved from

EBSCOhost.

Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. (2011). First Quarter 2006, Media Tip

Sheet. Retrieved from http//:nursingsociety.org

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