As the holidays have concluded and 2010 is well underway, millions of Americans have made another round of resolutions. New Years resolutions come in all forms; for some, it is to jog daily, others to read regularly and for many it is to stop smoking. Sadly, for some, the resolution is already broken.

For family physicians one of the most oft-stated recommendations for a patient to improve their health is to stop smoking. As South Carolina’s largest physician specialty organization, we are on the front lines of helping people succeed in stopping smoking.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In South Carolina, 17.8 percent of high school students smoke, and 5,500 more young people become regular smokers every year. Each year, tobacco claims 6,100 lives and costs the state $1.1 billion in health care bills. Our state ranks 11th in the nation for its number of smokers with 22.3 percent of South Carolinans smoking.

Kicking the smoking habit is something we as Family Physicians strongly encourage and the New Year provides an excellent opportunity to begin a new smoke-free lifestyle. A resolution, alone, is not going to do the trick, though. New Years resolutions, while they may be genuine and heartfelt, often fail at an abysmal rate. Statistics indicate that 40 to 45 percent of American adults make at least one resolution during New Year’s. However, only 75 percent maintain that resolution for even a week, 64 percent make it past one month and once we are into June, less than half are still sticking with it.

Staying true to a New Years resolution is even harder for those that smoke. Aside from New Years, the average smoker attempts to quit six to nine times over the course of a lifetime. Without support – medication or cessation counseling – less than five percent of smokers stay smoke-free for six to 12 months.

Fortunately, smokers who want to quit can take steps that drastically improve their chances of keeping their New Years resolution. First, smokers should talk with their physician about smoking. Hearing that a patient wants to quit smoking is music to a physician’s ears and he or she will do whatever it takes to help achieve that goal.

Second, smokers should speak with their employer to see what benefits are covered by the company’s insurance plan. The CDC recommends smoking cessation guidelines, such as providing counseling and coverage for cessation benefits including FDA approved prescription and over the counter nicotine replacement treatments. Employees of our great state of South Carolina have excellent smoking cessation coverage for both prescription drugs and for cessation counseling.

Many resources are also available from proven and reliable groups and agencies. Here in South Carolina, DHEC has the “Quit for Keeps” campaign where individuals can call 800-QUIT-NOW. You may have seen the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation’s clever television commercials for BecomeAnEX.org campaign. The American Lung Association has excellent information as part of the “Quitter In You” program that can be found at QuitterInYou.org. Our own program, Ask and Act, through the American Academy of Family Physicians, offers valuable recourses for physicians and patients.

Many South Carolinians have resolved to quit smoking. Now what? Health care providers should make a resolution of their own: help smokers quit. Doing so saves lives, promotes healthier workplaces and lifestyles and boosts South Carolina’s economy. Together, we can make 2010 a Smoke Free year.

Dr. Cupstid is Chair of the Board of Directors of the SC Academy of Family Physicians and practices in Cowpens, SC.