IAFF Campaign for a Smoke Free Union

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Smoking is the leading cause of premature death, a significant contributor to numerous deadly diseases and the leading cause of fires that claim the lives of many, including firefighters. In 2008, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and Pfizer Pharmaceutical's collaborated and launched their Campaign for a Smoke-Free Union initiative, encouraging IAFF members and their families to live a healthier lifestyle by quitting smoking. The goal of this smoke-free campaign is to make the International Association of Fire Fighters the first tobacco-free union in North America.

"We began this effort for a number of reasons. Smoking is the leading cause of fire. It is the leading case of cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory and pulmonary disease. Simply put, smoking continues to take too many lives among our members and our loved ones," explained General President of the IAFF, Harold Schaitberger.

According to Jim Byers, a consultant for Campaign for a Smoke-Free Union, this movement was designed with the International Association of Fire Fighters in mind, creating materials that were designed for the way IAFF members like to go through their training. Firefighters are already at a high risk of obtaining heart disease and cancer, therefore, firefighters who smoke are at an even greater risk of catching these deadly diseases.

"Smoking kills one quiet, private death at a time - deaths that go too easily unnoticed by the world. When someone stops smoking, their health improves immediately. Lets say you quit today. 24 hours after your last cigarette, your risk of a heart attack starts to fall measurably," explained CEO of Pfizer, Inc., Jeff Kindler. "And 15 years later, that extra risk disappears completely, as if you had never smoked at all."

The Campaign for a Smoke-Free Union program is available at www.iaff.org/smokefree. The website includes videos, links and information about the risks of smoking and how to quit smoking. There are also links that provide information regarding support groups, telephone hotlines and other various sources for the entire family.

Harold Schaitberger also remarked, "We know it's a challenge, but we also know that no one in this union, no one on the job, ever backed down because the going got tough."

Quick Facts About Smoking Provided by the IAFF:

•    Smoking causes $167 billion dollars in health-related economic losses every year in the United States.
•    Fires caused by smoking cost approximately $27 billion annually around the world.
•    A smoker pays about $17,500 more in lifetime medical costs than a non-smoker.
•    In a very large study of smokers in the US, the average years of potential life lost from smoking for male smokers was 13 years, and for female smokers was 14 years, with heavy smokers losing more years of life.

Contributors to this story:
Barbara Brooks - Reporter
Ann Zevely - Camera/Editor
Renee Marquart - Text Story



Author:B. Brooks, A. Zevely and R. Marquart - FDNNTV.com