Smoking Cessation Group Helps Homeless Kick Habit

Smoking is a hard habit for most people to overcome, and local experts say it’s even harder for the less fortunate to kick the addiction. Burrell Behavioral Health has started a smoking cessation group that is helping the homeless break the habit. KSMU’s Kristian Kriner visited the group and spoke with this woman about her addiction.

A pot of coffee brews next to a long white table covered with “No Smoking” pamphlets and books, as the group leader, Jay Robards, talks to Sue, the only person to show up for the meeting.

Sue has been smoking for 32 years and frequently visits Bill’s Place to get support and talk to her friends.

Bill’s Place is a center for the homeless or anyone else who wants to come in, take a shower, get a cup of coffee, or just escape the hot or cold weather.

Sue says she saw a sign for a smoking cessation group called “The Monday Morning Fix,” and decided now was the time to quit smoking.

“I’ve been wanting to quit. I’ve quit two times before, but I always have gone back. I think through prayer and a friend and the support group, has helped me. I can’t say it’s going to help everybody, but it has helped me,” Sue said.Sue says the last time she had a cigarette was almost a week ago.

She says she smoked her first cigarette in sixth grade when a friend offered it to her.

“She handed me a cigarette and she lit hers and I lit mine. And then, the principal was coming around and she dropped hers and I dropped mine too, but I still had smoke in my mouth. He comes out and says, ‘Are you girls out here smoking?’ And we went to say ‘no,’ and the smoke came out and boy, I tell you I got in trouble,” Sue said.

But that incident didn’t keep her from smoking.

Now, she says the health benefits are the main reasons why she wants to quit smoking.

Sue says she wants to be able to jog long distances and not be out of breath.

Jay Robards is the leader of the smoking cessation group and a case manager for Burrell Behavioral Health.

He says once someone stops smoking their body starts to heal itself.

“Within, I believe its 24 hours, your heart rate and your respiration will return to normal levels after you’ve had your last cigarette. If you can go 15 years without another cigarette, your lungs regenerate to the point where it is as though you never smoked,” Robards said.Robards says cigarettes are becoming more dangerous, due to the chemicals tobacco companies use to treat the nicotine and the paper the cigarettes are wrapped in.

Sara Ward is the director of homeless services for Burrell Behavioral Health.

She says the main reason they started this group was to help the homeless in Springfield break the habit, so they could get back on their feet.

“One of the reasons we found it to be important is when we surveyed the consumers here at Bill’s Place of the 50 that filled out the survey, 75 percent of smoking participants indicated that they would like to see some support here at Bill’s Place for smoking cessation. And many of them indicated that they’ve tried unsuccessfully in the past and they felt like support would be really helpful for them,” Ward said.

Ward says they are also using this meeting to teach about eating healthy foods and staying active.

And as for Sue, she says without the support of this group, she wouldn’t have the strength to stop smoking.

“It’s a goal. It’s an accomplishment. I can say ‘I did it!’ you know. I can be proud of that goal, but I’ll also be blessed that I can breathe better,” Sue said.

“The Monday Morning Fix” is at 9:00 am every Monday at Bill’s Place, located at 424 E. Commercial Street.

For more information you can call Jay Robards at 269-0445.

For KSMU News, I’m Kristian Kriner.