People who have chronic health challenges are more likely to have a severe health crisis if they get Covid-19, including asthma, lung disease, diabetes and heart disease. Smoking commercial tobacco counts as a chronic health condition.
Transcript
I’m Melissa Townsend and this is your Covid-19 Daily Update
People who have chronic health challenges are more likely to have a severe health crisis if they get Covid-19.
That includes Asthma, lung disease, diabetes and heart disease.
Smoking commercial tobacco counts as a chronic health condition.
Dr. Neal Patel is with the Mayo Clinic explains why…
PATEL: The biggest thing smoking does in an active smoker is to destroy the cilia in the lungs and in the nasal pharynx. Cilia are tiny hairlike follicles that help to trap damaged viruses, debris, and move that debris upwards out of your lungs, so it doesn’t stay there and cause issues. And so it acts as one of thee main defense systems against infection. Without that, smokers unfortunately are a little bit defenseless. (:34)
Many Native elders have been working in the community to keep tobacco sacred.
There are culturally specific programs that can help folks quit smoking.
But as Ojibwe elder Sharon Day says, you have to have a reason…
DAY: I think if it’s not for yourself, it has to be for something you care about. For me, I was a smoker, and in 2000 the health department gave me a contract to work with youth in smoking prevention so the day I signed the contract was the day I quit smoking because how could I work with kids and tell them not to smoke if I was smoking. (:24)
If you’re inspired to quit commercial tobacco use, one resource in Minnesota is the American Indian Quit Line at 1.833.9AIQUIT.