Health leaders want to cut smoking rate in Macon area

The Brown & Williamson cigarette plant helped make Macon what it is today, but it may also have left behind a negative health legacy.

The Macon area has a higher percentage of smokers than state and national averages, and health officials want to change that.

Nancy White, administrator for the Macon-Bibb County Health Department, said the higher rate may be a result of lingering pro-smoking sentiment from Brown & Williamson. The cigarette maker provided more than 2,000 people with good-paying jobs in Macon until it was bought by R.J. Reynolds in 2004 and the plant closed.

"For so long people didn't want to touch this because of Brown & Williamson, but after a decade I think people are wanting to come out and address this," she said.

She said 22.9 percent of adults in the North Central Health District are smokers, compared to a statewide average of 18.8 percent and a national average of 17.8 percent. The district comprises Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Hancock, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Putnam, Twiggs, Washington and Wilkinson counties.

To kick-start an effort to combat that trend, an event is set for 11 a.m. Friday at Amerson River Park's Porter Pavilion. Mayor Robert Reichert will read a proclamation and health officials will address the media.

Lung cancer is the second leading cause of death locally among adults 45 to 74, according to the health department. White said it is the leading preventable cause of death.

Dr. Bruce Burns is a Macon physician at Central Georgia Cancer Care and sees many lung cancer patients. While not all lung cancers are related to smoking, he said the "vast majority" that he sees are -- and that includes second-hand smoke. Although the chances of getting lung cancer decline from the time a smoker quits, Burns said it can linger for as long as 20 years.

The reason that so many people still smoke, he said, is simply that it's difficult for them to quit.

"Nicotine is one of the most addictive things known to man," he said. "They just can't get over that addiction. Sometimes they just put (cigarettes) down, but other times even people who undergo active treatment for lung cancer continue to smoke."

The difference between those who are able to quit and those who don't is the level of desire to quit, he said. Those who aren't committed aren't likely to succeed.

The stop-smoking drug Chantix can be effective, he said, but people are often reluctant to take it because of concerns about psychological side effects. The drug is effective for about half the people who take it, and the negative side effects are unusual, he said.

The good news for smokers is that screenings for lung cancer have improved in recent years, allowing more early detection, which offers a better prognosis, Burns said.

He does not consider vapor cigarettes to be a safe alternative. White also said she is concerned that vapor nicotine, which comes in a wide variety of flavors, can be a "gateway" to getting young people to take up tobacco cigarettes.

Wendell Harris of Macon was walking down Cherry Street on Thursday puffing on what he said was going to be one of this last cigarettes.

"My doctor wanted me to quit and sent me some patches, so I bought this last pack," he said.

Harris, 59, is an Army veteran of Desert Storm and started smoking when he entered the military at age 20. He quit for about a year a couple of years ago but started back because "people were getting on my nerves."

He said he believes he will quit for good this time.

Lela Goodrich of Twiggs County was bartending at the Back Porch Lounge in Macon Thursday. She has smoked for 15 years and said she has thought about quitting.

"I'd like to, but I don't want to bad enough yet," she said. "I need to."

She tried using vapor to quit, but that didn't work. There are still a lot of people who come in the bar that smoke, she said.

For people who want to quit, the American Cancer Society has a free, stop-smoking class each month at the Medical Center, Navicent Health. To sign up, call 633-9090.

The number for the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line is 1.877.270.STOP.

Nov. 19 is the Great American Smokeout, in which smokers are encouraged to quit for at least that day -- and stick to it, those such as White and Burns hope.

To contact writer Wayne Crenshaw, call 256-9725.

This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 6:54 PM with the headline "Health leaders want to cut smoking rate in Macon area ."