Did you know that our own Wor-Wic Community College received some of the tobacco restitution funds that grew out of the landmark tobacco cases? And that part of that money went for having one of the heirs of the Reynolds Tobacco Company address our community about smoking cessation?

Patrick Reynolds may seem like a surprising choice for an anti-smoking speaker. Still, if you had heard his talk, you’d know why having a smoke free America is a lifelong crusade for Reynolds.

When he was 15, his father died from tobacco-caused emphysema. For young Patrick, losing his father to the very product that had created the family fortune, was a searing experience.

As an adult, he’s been working to help persuade people not to smoke, or if they do smoke, he provides information on how to stop. He’s been doing this through public speaking, through his videotape, “The Truth About Tobacco,” (more than 4000 school districts have bought the tape so far), and through his Foundation for a Smoke-Free America.

The Foundation sponsors a website that receives roughly 3000 visitors a day. It’s full of tips for smoking prevention and smoking cessation. If you missed his talk, you can find some of the same information at his website.

One of the suggestions that you might find useful is a way to keep your children from smoking. “Build your children’s self-esteem,” he says. “Instill in them the belief that they are responsible people.”

Do this by giving honest praise to your young children whenever they do something responsible such as, for example, cleaning up their rooms before being asked. Then, when they’re teenagers, if you’ve built the right foundation, you can honestly tell them, “I’m not worried about you smoking. You’re a very responsible person so I know you’ll make the responsible choice.”

On the other hand, as he points out, when children don’t have a healthy self-image, their unconscious thought process can go something like, “Why does Mom get that worried look on her face? Oh, I know, I must really be irresponsible. Um, I guess I’ll go do irresponsible things because, after all, that’s who I really am.”

What if you’re a smoker and you want to quit? Reynolds recommends using a smoking cessation program. Ninety-five percent of people who try to quit without help are back smoking within a year. Getting help is important and can greatly increase your odds of success.

He adds, “If you’ve tried to quit before, keep trying. Most people fail several times before successfully quitting.”

In his case, he tried 11 times before he was finally able to quit. As he points out, “You think, ‘One cigarette won’t make a difference,’ but if you take just one, you will go back to smoking. There’s no in-between.

“The good news,” he continues, “is that if you can hold off for just five minutes—or at worst 10 minutes—it will pass.”

To get through the moments when life itself doesn’t seem as important as just one cigarette, he recommends that you take deep breaths, imagining as you exhale, that you’re exhaling all your cravings and tensions. Keep doing this for a few minutes until the craving passes.

This one technique has helped countless people stay tobacco free. Reynolds knows that it can help you. For more information, visit his website at:www.tobaccofree.org. Patrick Reynolds’ Wish List:

That you’d support The Foundation for a Smokefree America and help him continue his anti-smoking messages. The address is: PO Box 492028, Los Angeles, CA 90049-8028.