Finding your health ‘up in smoke?’

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Shen-Chia Chu
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Every six seconds, a person dies from the use of tobacco.

If current trends continue, an estimated one billion people will die during the 21st Century, according to statistics from the World Health Organization website.

However, there is one man from Dover Air Force Base will never become a part of that statistic. That man stepped up and made the decision to change his life by kicking his addiction.

Richard Kerchevall is a retired technical sergeant from Dover Air Force Base. In his spare time, he helps referee basketball games and volunteers at the Health and Wellness Center as a speaker.

"As a referee in a basketball league, I want to be a good mentor to the kids who look up to me," said Mr. Kerchevall. "I don't want them to grow up and start using tobacco."

Mr. Kerchevall also shares his story and struggles with smoking cigarettes to Dover Airmen during the HAWC smoking cessation class. The 436th Aerospace Medicine Squadron HAWCoffers the class to help educate Team Dover members on how to quit smoking and chewing tobacco.

"The class teaches people what to expect when quitting and how to cope with the effects of withdrawal and the cravings to smoke or chew," said Nancy Zabaga, 436th AMDS HAWC Health Education Program manager. "The class will help individuals create their own unique plan for quitting and set them up for success."

Mr. Kerchevall is an example and can attest to the HAWC being an effective tool that helped him give up his fixation.

"It is so difficult to quit tobacco use of any kind and assistance is needed to kick this addiction," said Mr. Kerchevall. "That's why the HAWC is useful because it gives class participants information on various methods to help quit tobacco. People need support to get through difficult times like this, and in a group setting, you get support to stop using tobacco, whether it be cigarettes, chew, cigars or even a pipe. A group can help individuals more than someone going through it alone."

The HAWC believes having a support system who can be there as support to lean on when the quitting gets tough.

"Tobacco can be a weapon of mass destruction for military members," said Mrs. Zabaga. "It causes a range of problems, such as - fatigue, shortness of breath, irritates the digestive system, contributes to acid reflux, a rise in blood pressure from nicotine increases heart rate and blood pressure. Over time, this can damage the heart, arteries, and lungs, increasing the risk for heart attack, stroke, and chronic lung disease."
Smoking and chewing tobacco can cause poor blood circulation, fatigue, muscle weakness, decreased readiness, and poor physical performance. It causes stains on teeth and fingers, bad breath, and can lead to serious dental problems, like rotting teeth.

Mr. Kerchevall said he learned first-hand about the facts of how detrimental tobacco was through an unexpected incident one day at work.

"I was unloading dangerous chemicals from a vehicle and I decided to see why the chemicals were considered toxic, so I read the label of poisonous toxins and it surprised me that nicotine was on the list!" Mr. Kerchevall exclaimed. "It was quite an awakening to learn that nicotine was poisonous because at that point I had been smoking for 30 years."

In addition to what he learned, he had a health scare was concerned because a spot was found on his lung due to smoking more than a pack a day.

The former smoker said he knew he had become "that guy" whose health was affected by the smoke when he huffed and puffed just to reach the second floor.

"Believe me, I did not want to be that guy," said Mr. Kerchevall. "This was when I knew something had to change."

One of Mr. Kerchevall's motivations that helped him quit was the fact that he had become a grandfather.

"I want to be a part of my grandbaby's life for as long as possible," he said. "And also, I love watching my grand kids torture my own children, so now they know what I went through as a parent!"

Though the former technical sergeant has quit smoking after 30 years, Mr. Kerchevall says it wasn't easy and he still struggles with having cravings.

"The hardest thing about quitting is being idle. I've learned to keep mentally occupied without the distraction of lighting up and breathing deeply," said Mr. Kerchevall. "But I know the benefits and I've come so far for years without tobacco, I'm not going to through it all away. Plus, I save $5,000 a year."

Saving money is just one of several benefits for those who quit tobacco use.

"There is better blood circulation and more energy because increased blood flow will get the body the oxygen it needs to perform at its highest level," said Mrs. Zabaga. "Smokers will stop suffering from additional short-term nicotine withdrawal symptoms, including difficulty concentrating, irritability, cognitive impairment, and decreased reaction time. Quitting tobacco can help reduce stress and enable use of positive stress-coping strategies to be alert, attentive, and able to take on the challenge ahead.

For more information about tobacco cessation, call the HAWC at 677-3733.