Stop smoking: More than a New Year's resolution

Jan. 1 is rolling around, that magical date in which many make resolutions and set new goals.

As with each New Year, many of us plan to read more, travel more, watch our weight and kick bad habits. For far too many people, that bad habit is smoking. And for the most part, while we all mean well, our New Year's resolutions only last, at the most, until Groundhog Day.

The reality is, however, that giving up tobacco cannot be thought of as only a New Year's resolution. More than 160,000 deaths from lung cancer are expected nationwide this year, accounting for 29 percent of all cancer deaths.

It is the number one cause of cancer deaths for both men and women, and by the end of this day, 1,000 more children will begin smoking on a regular basis.

I am a medical oncologist who treats cancer patients at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick and I am a board member of the American Cancer Society, Eastern Division. In my area of work, we see the death and destruction caused by tobacco use, including that of secondhand smoke on an ongoing basis. National statistics show there are between 5,000 and 10,000 cases of lung cancer diagnosed annually among those who never even smoked, most among women.

Given the severe health implications to us as individuals and to the nation, this topic should be on the minds of both smokers and nonsmokers every day of the year - not just on Jan. 1.

Dr. Mary B. Todd Chief Operating Officer

The Cancer Institute

of New Jersey

Professor of Medicine UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson

Medical School