Transcript Combining Tobacco Cessation and Radon Testing: A

Combining Tobacco Cessation
and Radon Testing: A
Multiagency Collaboration to
Promote The Health Of
Montanans
LAURA S. LARSSON
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Problem

Exposure to indoor radon and tobacco smoke
have a synergistic effect meaning that the
combined risk for lung cancer is more than
additive
Radon Risk if You Smoke
from "A Citizen's Guide to Radon: The Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family From Radon"
Radon
Level
If 1,000 people who
smoked were
exposed to this level
over a lifetime*...
If 1,000 people who WHAT TO DO:
never smoked were Stop smoking
exposed to this level and...
over a lifetime*...
20 pCi/L
About 260 people
could get lung
cancer
About 36 people
could get lung
cancer
Fix your home
8 pCi/L
About 120 people
could get lung
cancer
About 15 people
could get lung
cancer
Fix your home
4 pCi/L
About 62 people
could get lung
cancer
About 7 people
could get lung
cancer
Fix your home
Method-Step 1—Make
Friends

Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program
(MTUPP)

Montana Department of Environmental Quality
(MDEQ)

Montana Cancer Coalition

Gallatin and Ravalli County Tobacco Prevention
Specialists

Gallatin and Ravalli County Health Officers
Method-Step 2—Pilot Test

A one-page radon background and risk
document was included in the orientation
packets for “Quit Line” enrollees attempting to
quit smoking cigarettes

Free radon kits by mail

Timeline: January 1, 2014 - May 15, 2014

600 invitations for a free radon test kit sent
Results

14 (2.3%) accepted the invitation

2 (14.3%) completed the test kit they requested

Neither had actionable indoor radon levels
Discussion

Strong potential—600 initiations in 5 months

Mailing is the wrong approach

Future work is to get on the script

January is Radon Awareness Month

Would follow-up coaching increase test-kit
completion?

Or are individuals attempting to quit smoking too
overwhelmed or preoccupied to test?
Your Questions and
Comments