Sieda Behavioral Health and Treatment Services seek to educate on the dangers of tobacco use by way of our Tobacco Prevention Specialist, Lisa M.

Lisa, provides education and programming across many of our counties to spread the dangers of tobacco, smokeless tobacco, and vaping.

Lisa shares, “Smokers often have a cigarette either during or immediately after a stressful event or situation. The act of smoking and the rituals associated with it seem to relieve stress temporarily. It leads them to believe smoking actually reduces stress levels. In fact, the only things they are alleviating are the withdrawal symptoms of nicotine.”

Furthermore, “The more nicotine people put into their bodies, the more they need to feel normal. Because smokers use cigarettes to relieve stress, they begin to lose their ability to actually cope with stress. After a while, their answer for everything is smoking a cigarette instead of dealing with the underlying issues. Coping with stress is a mental skill. If people don’t use it, they lose it.”

Our Sieda Tobacco Prevention Specialist, Lisa M., can provide support and information at 641-683-6747 x114. If you are interested in her coming and talking to a group or at a event please contact her. Lisa recommends Quitline Iowa to get free support and counseling from experienced Quitline Iowa coaches. Contact Quitline Iowa directly at 1-800-QUIT-NOW for help quiting.