Doctors urge Asians to Quit Smoking and Get Screened for Diabetes
According to major medical societies, the U.S. Surgeon General, and recent studies, Asian Americans increase their risk for diabetes by 30-40% for active smokers than nonsmokers.
“Smoking is directly linked to lung, throat, and other types of cancer, but according to the 2014 Health Consequences of Smoking Report of the Surgeon General, there is now adequate evidence to infer that smoking causes diabetes, too,” said Dr. Caroline Chen, postdoctoral fellow in public health at the University of California, San Diego. One way to reduce diabetes risk is to quit smoking. The Asian Smokers’ Quitline Chinese line can help smokers quit. A CDC funded nationwide program, ASQ Chinese Quitline provides free one-on-one counseling by phone and free nicotine patches to qualified smokers in Cantonese and Mandarin. Friends and family of smokers can also call ASQ 1-800-838-8917 to receive information and advice about how to help smokers quit.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, smokers with diabetes have higher risks for serious complications, including:
- Heart and kidney disease
- Poor blood flow in the legs and feet that can lead to infections, ulcers, and possible amputation (removal of a body part by surgery, such as toes or feet)
- Retinopathy (an eye disease that can cause blindness)
- Peripheral neuropathy (damaged nerves to the arms and legs that causes numbness, pain, weakness, and poor coordination)
“In some cases, smoking can double the risk for life harming, and life threatening complications associated with diabetes like kidney failure,” said Dr. Ho Luong Tran, President & CEO of NCAPIP, an organization of doctors aimed at raising awareness of diabetes and cancers that disproportionately affect Asian Americans. “Smoking has been shown to raise blood sugar and may make the body more resistant to insulin, so it’s really bad for someone with diabetes,” said Cherrie Ng, project manager of ASQ. “ASQ wants to help smokers manage diabetes. We urge smokers to contact ASQ Chinese Quitline (1-800-838-8917) and make a quit attempt today! Besides providing service in Cantonese and Mandarin, ASQ also offers other service lines to help smokers who speak Korean and Vietnamese”
If you are of Asian descent with a body mass index of 23 (you can calculate at: https://aadi.joslin.org/en/am-i-at-risk/asian-bmi-calculator ) talk to your doctor about being screened for type 2 diabetes. For more information about diabetes in Asian Americans, go to www.screenat23.org
About the Asian Smokers’ Quitline (ASQ):
ASQ is operated by the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego. ASQ provides FREE evidence-based smoking cessation services in Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean and Vietnamese to Asian communities in the U.S. Studies have shown that smokers who enroll in ASQ services double their chances of quitting successfully.
We encourage CHINESE/KOREAN/VIETNAMESE speaking smokers to call ASQ. if they want free help quitting smoking. Friends and family of smokers may also enroll to learn how to help smokers quit. Cessation advisors who speak CHINESE/KOREAN/VIETNAMESE] are ready to offer useful information. Smokers can receive a free two-week supply of nicotine patches while supplies last.
Over 10,000 Asian language speakers from all 50 states have enrolled in ASQ services since 2012. ASQ is funded by the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
ASQ is open Monday through Friday, 7am to 9pm Pacific Time (10am – Midnight Eastern Time).
To enroll, call [use either Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese Quitline] or register online today!
- Mandarin & Cantonese 1-800-838-8917 www.asq-chinese.org
- Korean 1-800-556-5564 www.asq-korean.org
- Vietnamese 1-800-778-8440 www.asq-viet.org
