Linda Harder: Thank you for not smoking

HAYDEN - Every new year, thousands of people pledge to quit smoking.

Every new year, thousands won't. They can't. They're hooked.

It's called addiction.

Linda Harder wants to help them break the chain.

"A lot of times folks are just scared to make that commitment to quit," she said. "Oftentimes when they find out there are resources and they don't have to go it alone, they are willing to take that on and make the commitment."

Harder is a health education specialist with the Panhandle Health District. She'll be leading a free class on Jan. 4 aimed at covering the benefits of quitting smoking, including the economic savings and its affect on mental health and substance use recovery.

The presentation will provide information on quit-tobacco classes, individual consults, telephone and online support, support groups and free and reduced cost quit medications.

The class will be 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul HELP Center, 102 E. Harrison Ave. in Coeur d'Alene. Room is limited so call 415-5143 to reserve a spot.

In Idaho, it's estimated 16 percent of the population smokes. The economic and health aspects are difficult to ignore, but many do.

Harder points out it takes about five minutes to smoke a cigarette. For a pack-a-day smoker, that's 100 minutes a day, which is 25 days a year spent puffing "death sticks," as they're often called.

Over 40 years, a pack-a-dayer will spend nearly $100,000 on cigarettes.

She hopes the class is the start for a smoker giving that habit up - for life.

"It feels good to be able to help people," she said.

How hard is it to give up smoking?

Over the years, the tobacco companies have added additional chemicals. It's very, very addictive. It is hard. Some folks find it easier than others, it depends on the reasons that they're smoking, what type of tobacco product they're using, but it is very difficult. Some studies are showing it's right up there with cocaine and heroin in its addictive level.

How bad is smoking for you?

It's very bad. In fact, they found there's no safe level of exposure. So folks that get themselves to one or two cigarettes a day, they're still at risk and of course, with second-hand smoke and third-hand smoke, there's no safe level for that, either.

What can people do to kick the habit?

I would recommend they get some type of help. There's lots of resources that are available. There are individual consults, we also do classes for the teens and then we have classes we do at businesses. Getting support is really, really important. There's online and telephone support through QuitLine and QuitNet. They have trained coaches who will make regular phone calls and work with people.

What are the odds of breaking a longtime smoking habit?

For most individuals it seems like it takes more than one try. So I always tell people, never look at past attempts as failure, they're just stepping stones. I think statistics are around seven tries. Oftentimes, they've never gotten any support, they're trying to go it alone. The more help you get, the higher the success rate.

Why do people smoke despite knowing how bad it is for them?

The tobacco companies in Idaho spend $54 million a year on marketing and advertising. They really target youth. Because it's so addictive, once somebody tries, they get hooked, it's really hard to quit. And most smokers do want to quit. Studies show 70 to 80 percent want to quit. I think it's not a matter that they don't know it's harmful, it's just once they've gotten hooked, it's hard.

Besides the health aspects, what's the financial cost of smoking?

Right now, the price in Idaho is on average $5.20 a pack. You're spending quite a bit of money in a year. A pack-a-day smoker is going to spend $1,832. It really adds up.

How can we keep kids from smoking?

Right now, there's a wonderful program in school called TATU. (Teams Against Tobacco Use.) It's sponsored through the American Lung Association. They train peers, then teens go into the grade school and the middle school and also work with their peers and do programs.

We also have the North Idaho Tobacco Free Coalition to give kids the knowledge they need and the skills they need to not smoke.

Have you ever smoked?

I haven't. People always ask me that. My dad was a four-pack-a-day smoker. Thankfully, he was able to quit before I was born. My parents were in their late 40s, so I don't think I would be here today if he hadn't quit.

How did your dad do it?

There were several people he worked with that were really concerned about him. They actually started praying for him. One day he came home from work and told my mom, 'You know, the strangest thing happened today. I stopped at the store to buy cigarettes. When I got out of the car, I realized I didn't want them and got back in.' He never smoked again.

Are you friends with smokers?

I have acquaintances who smoke.

Do you say anything about how bad smoking is for them?

I have a gentle approach. I think most people know it's harmful. If you have people nagging at you, I don't think that helps. I think it actually makes people more stressed and that's a trigger to smoke. I let them know there's resources available if they want help.

Any anti-smoking programs you would like to bring here?

The smoking rates with substance abuse clients and mentally ill clients are very, very high. There's a peer-to-peer support program that was started by the University of Colorado and I'd love to get that going here. It seems like it's just harder for clients who have a mental illness to quit. If they had that additional support, I think that would really help.

Can you give a few keys to help someone quit smoking?

Set a quit date. If you don't set a quit date, it's easy to keep putting it off. And definitely get that support. Take a class, there's telephone support through QuitLine and QuitNet. Get people lined up in your life who can be a support person.

Sometimes folks will just do the patches or medication but they don't work on the behavioral part and oftentimes find themselves failing because you really have to change your whole life.

So, it's not going to work if you just toss your smokes in the garbage and say, 'I quit?'

Probably not. You really need to learn how to change. It becomes a part of most people's lives.

Date of birth: Feb. 18, 1960

Family: Two sons

Education: Bachelor's degree from Eastern Washington University. Master's degree from Capella University.

Hobbies: Gardening, hiking, biking

Number of hours on average you sleep in a night: 6-7

Number of hours on average you work in a week: 40

Favorite music: Folk

One person who most influenced your life: My parents, Hubert and Ruth Harder. My mom really influenced my faith. They were hard-working people.

Quality you admire most in a person: Integrity

Accomplishment you are most proud of: My family

Best advice you ever received: My mom always told me when things are difficult, rely on God and keep your faith.