Daddy, will you please stop smoking?

My dad smoked for much of his adult life. As a little girl, I learned about the dangers of smoking at school and lost a few relatives to lung cancer. While my mom didn’t allow my dad to smoke in our own home (he went outside), our family get-togethers in other relatives’ homes in the 70s and 80s were generally smoke-filled events.

My dad tried to quit smoking on his own numerous times. Sometimes he was successful – for a few weeks. Sometimes, he replaced smoking with something else – like chewing gum or eating blueberry pie a la mode every night. But he never fully committed to quit smoking, until now.

Now, my dad is 72 years old and has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. It’s a combination of two diseases – chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The main symptoms are a constant cough, mucus that comes up when you cough, and shortness of breath that gets worse when you exert yourself. To help him increase the amount of oxygen that flows into his lungs and bloodstream, my dad uses long-term oxygen treatment.

I didn’t talk much to my dad about his smoking – or about anything, really. My mom was clearly the default parent. Instead of talking to him about his smoking habit, I wrote letters to my dad when I was a child asking him to quit smoking. I placed the letters in places around the house, barn, or in his car where I knew he would find them.

I’m teaching my two boys about the effects of smoking. They can see the results firsthand in their Grandpa Wayne (my dad) and in the loss of their Yia Yia (grandmother in Greek) on my husband’s side.

According to the American Cancer Society:

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US, yet about 42 million Americans still smoke cigarettes — a bit under 1 in every 5 adults. As of 2012, there were also 13.4 million cigar smokers in the US, and 2.3 million who smoke tobacco in pipes — other dangerous and addictive forms of tobacco.

Quit Together. Win Together.

The American Cancer Society marks the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of each year by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By quitting, even for one day, smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life – one that can reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases.

When you quit smoking, you can win your life and your health back!

Why not kick off your New Year’s resolution or bucket list with the goal to quit smoking? Quitting smoking boosts your wallet, brightens your smile, and saves lives beyond your own. Start your journey to health with the following resources:

Guide to quitting smoking
What are the benefits of quitting?
Latest news about tobacco and smoking

To learn more, call 1-800-227-2345, visit Great American Smokeout, or connect at the Quit for Life Facebook page or on Twitter.

This post represents a sponsored editorial partnership with the American Cancer Society. All storytelling and opinions are my own.

Charmin Calamaris

Charmin is a wife, mom of two boys and creator of the Momiverse. The Momiverse is an online magazine for busy moms (is there any other kind?) dedicated to helping moms make time – and take time – for themselves. She traded in her career in land use planning and environmental policy to become Chief Executive Navigator of the Momiverse. You can connect with Charmin in her "online office" on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

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