SMOKING WHY YOU SHOULD STOP

Her name is “Heartbroken Sister.” I recently celebrated my first year of abstinence from tobacco. She was my in spiration.

Like “Heartbroken’s” sister, I, too, am in my early 40s with small children. Like her, I started smoking at I3.

That letter broke my heart, but it also made me think about the importance of being responsible for my health. Please tell “Heartbroken” that I love her and that she’s always in my heart and prayers....( Sender of letter to Dear Abby's name omitted * as no authorization to use was solicited.)

Dear ( Name Omitted* ) Your letter warmed my heart. You chose the right time to write. November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and today is the 27th annual Great American Smoke- out. For those who may not know about it, the Smokeout Is a one-day campaign to encourage smokers to quit for 24 hours — just to prove to themselves they can do it.(*)

The letter that Inspired you appeared in my column in November 2000. Today I’m printing excerpts from it because more than half of all smokers start before age 14.(*) Read on:

Dear Abby: Aug. 4 would have been my sister’s 45th birthday Sadly she died in October of 1999. She had been a smoker since she was 13. During her illness, I promised her I would try to stop as many kids as I could from making the same deadly mistake.

Teenagers and Preteens: Smoking isn’t “cool.” It’s deadly! If you don’t smoke, please don’t ever start. If you do smoke, quit now — if you can.

More than 440,000 people in the United States die of tobacco related diseases each year. I’m sure each and every one of them thought, “It won’t happen to me.” That’s exactly what my sister thought. Thanks to her addiction, she’ll miss her sons’ graduations, she’ll never attend their weddings or see the faces of her grandchildren. She won’t grow old with the husband she loved and who adored her.(*)

Our family is devastated. We miss my beautiful sister with all our hearts. Please help me spread the word. Heartbroken Sister

Dear Abby writes: Readers: The American Cancer Society informs me that when smokers quit, the benefits begin immediately.

Twenty minutes after the last cigarette, blood pressure drops to a level close to that before the last cigarette. Eight hours after quitting, carbon monoxide levels In the blood drop to normal. Twenty-four hours later, the chance of heart attack decreases.

After one to nine months, coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease, and cilia regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs and reduce infection. One year later, excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.

After five years, stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker. After 10 years, the lung cancer fatality rate is about half that of a smoker’s, and the risk of oral, throat, esophageal, bladder, kidney and pancreatic cancer also decreases.