New Jersey Experts Available To Address Smoking Cessation, Lung Cancer In Relation To Kick Butts Day

According to the American Lung Association, every day nearly 3,900 kids under the age of 18 smoke their first cigarette, and 950 of them go on to become regular smokers. It is also estimated that with the continuation of current tobacco use patterns, 6.4 million current child smokers will eventually die from a tobacco-related disease. That is why youngsters across the nation will "Stand Out...Speak Up...and Seize Control Against Big Tobacco" on March 23rd for the 16th Annual Kick Butts Day, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.


Experts at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) and the UMDNJ-School of Public Health are available for comment on cessation efforts, the development of lung cancer and other related effects of smoking. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.


Experts available for comment include:


Mike Steinberg, MD, MPH, FACP, is a member of CINJ and the director of the Tobacco Dependence Program at the UMDNJ-School of Public Health, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and CINJ. This program provides help on quitting tobacco use through treatment, education, research, and advocacy. Dr. Steinberg and colleagues are currently working on an education project that aims to inform South Asians of the dangers of tobacco and smokeless tobacco products and what resources are available to help them stop using these products.


Biren Saraiya, MD, is a medical oncologist at CINJ and an assistant professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Saraiya, whose specialty lies in the area of lung cancer, is involved in CINJ's Palliative Care Program and can discuss comfort care needs as they relate to lung cancer. He also has a clinical practice in genitourinary and lung cancers and is a member of CINJ's Thoracic Oncology Program.


Source:
Cancer Institute of New Jersey