They're Truckin'!

Between the two of them, Billy Mercer and his wife Patti smoked three to four packs of cigarettes a day. Both are 33 years old and have smoked since they were teenagers. Not only was the nicotine habit affecting their health, it was also affecting their pocketbook.

However, a smoking cessation program offered by Southeast Missouri Hospital’s Wellness Services at Mercer’s workplace changed all that. “I could feel the effect smoking was having on my health,” says Mercer. He often was out of breath and had difficulty with tasks involving endurance. “I tried to stop smoking several times, but it was a phone call from my aunt with the news that she had lung cancer from her years of smoking that made the dangers of smoking very real. She pleaded with me to put cigarettes out of my life before it was too late.” At that point, Mercer found the will to stop smoking.

Mercer is employed by HAVCO Wood Products, a manufacturer of laminated oak flooring for trailers, truck bodies and containers, located just south of Cape Girardeau. As part of their commitment to improve employee health, the management team at HAVCO partners with Southeast Missouri Hospital to bring tobacco cessation classes to their employees, families and friends who want to kick the habit.

The program, developed by the American Lung Association, is a series of seven classes that prepares the smoker for the obstacles they will face and teaches participants what to expect in their attempt to stop smoking. Cindy Seyer, Manager of Wellness Services at Southeast, says, “We teach behavior changes and maintenance strategies to remain smoke free. We also deal with realistic approaches in case of a relapse,” she notes. The Wellness staff monitors participants for 12 months to offer support and help in case there is further need.

One of the most important incentives of this program is a contract that each participant signs at the start of the cessation process. Participants promise to use the tobacco money they save to reward themselves for their successes. Billy and Patti dreamed of owning a brand new Ford F-150 Extended Cab pick up truck. “We decided that if we could stay tobacco free for three months, we would invest in a brand new vehicle with all the bells and whistles,” says Mercer.

“We used our cigarette money for something we really wanted,” he notes. Participants receive a pin at the end of the smoking cessation program that acknowledges their success. Mercer keeps his pin on the visor of his truck. “It serves as a reminder of how I earned this truck,” he points out.

Since finishing the program in December, 2007, Mercer admits that he and his wife sometime still have a craving for tobacco, but the program has taught them how to overcome it. “I am confident,” says Mercer, “that I will never pick up another cigarette.”

Call to Action

To learn more about smoking cessation classes, call Wellness Services at Southeast Missouri Hospital at (573) 986-4406 or go to www.healthpointplaza.com.