Peter Jennings' Death, and pt teachings

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Specializes in Operating Room.

As you may or may not know, Peter Jennings, anchorman, died tonight 8/7/05 of lung cancer.

It's a tragic reality check on the danger of smoking. Would the use of famous names, such as Peter Jennings, in pt teachings on the dangers of smoking be ethical? Would such names even make one think about quitting, if they actually want to smoke?

Any other famous modern people die of lung cancer?

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Yul Brynner from King and I movie fame. Made a servious of commercials for the Lung association.

yulnosmoke600.jpg

http://www.headandneck.org/

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John Wayne also died of lung cancer. I don't need any education that smoking is bad. I watched my mother die for two years from cancer and yes she was a heavy smoker. She died in 1974. I was 13 years old. My mother wasn't famous but her young death at 36 made my brother and I not to ever want to touch those cancer sticks.

Fuzzy

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i think johnny carson's ultimate demise had to do with smoking, as did one of the actors who played darren in the original "bewitched" tv show. one of the problems i see (and i work in thoracic surgery where at least 80% of the surgeries we do has to do with cancer) is that people just think, "i'll just die." well, no, you don't just die. you suffer for a while before that - you can't breathe, you can't function, you can't manage your secretions, etc. etc. even healthcare providers that smoke cannot always escape the addiction, and its a powerful one. i don't envy any smoker, and their task to quit. all i can do is encourage quitting.

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Dinah Shore and her manager died a year apart from each other. Both died from Lung Cancer.

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

The use of famous names has not changed behavior thus far.

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The use of famous names has not changed behavior thus far.

What about, at least regarding female smokers, telling them about the dangers of infertility? I can't tell you how many brochures and handouts and such that my best friend has received from healthcare workers, all trying to warn her about smoking and loss of fertility. But I don't think any of their efforts really worked, because she continues to smoke. :o I've always wondered how well those kinds of messages go over with other female smokers. Is the effort wasted?

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As you may or may not know, Peter Jennings, anchorman, died tonight 8/7/05 of lung cancer.

It's a tragic reality check on the danger of smoking. Would the use of famous names, such as Peter Jennings, in pt teachings on the dangers of smoking be ethical? Would such names even make one think about quitting, if they actually want to smoke?

Any other famous modern people die of lung cancer?

I don't think anyone famous dying from lung cancer is going to help convince someone to quit. I quit quite a while ago, and if you don't want to do it on your own, you aren't going to be successful, IMHO.

Someone famous dying is no different than the average Joe.

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
I don't think anyone famous dying from lung cancer is going to help convince someone to quit. I quit quite a while ago, and if you don't want to do it on your own, you aren't going to be successful, IMHO.

Someone famous dying is no different than the average Joe.

I used to work in a skilled ventilator facility in which SOME of the residents were there as a result of many years of smoking. It always amazed me that several of the nurses and RESPIRATORY THERAPISTS taking care of these very special residents were smokers and continued to smoke. We saw (on a daily basis) the agony that these patients went through - unable to catch their breath, trach plugs, copious secretions, needing lots of neb treatments and anxiolytics, etc.

Smoking is an awful addiction :crying2:

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Smoking is an awful addiction

I know, it really is. Don't get me wrong, in defense of smokers, I still have the odd craving, but I feel so much better since I quit! I wish everyone would.

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

When someone has a true addiction to something, they cannot see beyond the addiction to find their way to stop the addiction UNLESS they themselves can admit they are addicted to something, and that they strongly desire help to stop the addiction.

My youngest sister is a heavy smoker. She called me long distance today to see how I was doing. She was hacking and coughing up phlegm as we spoke. She would apologize each time she hacked in my ear saying, "this cold just won't go away" (or something to that affect). I told her that her cough sounded like a smoker's cough and not "a cold". :uhoh3: I told her smoking wasn't helping her. All she could say was "yeah...I know". She doesn't like when someone addresses her smoking issue. My parents and former inlaws were the same way. I grew up in a household filled with cigeratte smoke, ashes, cig butts in the ashtray smelling up the house..........gross! I have met people who quit smoking cold turkey because they can "no longer afford the habit" BUT smoking around their children or grandchildren wasn't a strong enough reason to quit. Lack of money made them quit. Go figure! :rolleyes:

Reach one -- teach one....but educational tools are useless when a person is so addicted they hang on to their addictive crutch. :o

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

Forgot to add that Christopher Reeve's wife now has lung cancer, and she was never a smoker, but always around smokers.........second hand smoking is more lethal according to studies being done. How sad because they have a young son who may have to grow up without either one of his parents now. :crying2:

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