Saving the World like a Superhero
You think superheroes only live in minds immersed in imagination? Think again. Saving the world may not be as tough as you perceive it to be. You don't have to be a mutant to do it. You just need to be a genuinely concerned human being. The job doesn't require unusual tricks or super powers; only time and dedication.
In the end, it may not be as ambitious as saving many lives. Taking one smoker out of the dangers of nicotine dependence can make you feel like Superman after a victory over his archrival Lex Luthor or Batman after outsmarting the Joker. And hey, getting paid along the way is not all too bad either.
The invitation is open to anyone who wishes to volunteer for Smoke Free Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping smokers stop and preventing kids from picking up the habit.
"Everyone is adversely affected by smoking. Loved ones have to do something because smokers are addicted," pointed out Rez Seyedin, founder of Smoke Free Society and an ex-smoker. "We all must work together, especially with the lack of adequate funding by the federal and state governments. As citizens, as parents, as teachers, as friends, as neighbors, we have no choice but to work together to fill that void and help smokers quit and educate kids not to start."
A Proven Way to Quit Smoking
The core of the organization is "Proven Stop Smoking Technique," a book written by Rez in 1985, which specifies techniques with which he conquered his 20-year addiction in just 17 days without the use of medication or patches.
"At the time, there was no desire among the public for quitting smoking as there is today. Now we have become more aware. Statistics and information are reaching everybody. We realize that it is time for all of us to do more about helping our loved ones quit smoking," Rez added.
That's when he, with the help of wife, Linda, brought back the book and the Smoke Free Society idea. Even though the name was picked 25 years ago, to their surprise, the website domain name was still available. He purchased the name and started laying the foundation for Smoke Free Society and its website SmokeFreeSociety.org. "Our website is a work in progress and is very effective and user friendly with many plans, techniques, products and lots of information and links that can save a lot of lives," said Rez.
The quitting plans are designed and developed based on their core three-step principle: prepare, quit and get support. These plans effectively incorporate the services of other quit-smoking professionals and products to help smokers quit and stay smoke free.
Tobacco: The Silent Killer
The website presents a lot of information about the organization and its products, as well as current statistics about smokers. For instance, a counter on the home page reflects how many people have died from tobacco-related illnesses since 2000. As of press time the figure is more than 19.5 million. And it ticks every few seconds. There is a disturbing estimation that one out of five people smoke. If converted, this translates to more than 1.1 million people worldwide.
Other alarming statistics include the findings by the Air Resources Board which indicate that women exposed to secondhand smoke have up to a 90% greater risk of breast cancer. John Ritter of the "USA Today" wrote that the same report says "secondhand smoke kills as many as 73,400 [people] a year in the USA"
Another frightening article on the website states: "Each day 6,000 young people will take their first puff on a cigarette and 3,000 will become regular smokers. One out of three of them will die from a disease caused by smoking. Unless we do something to stop this trend, five million young people who are alive today will die from using tobacco."
The consequences of smoking remain the same except for the changing figures; or to be more exact, the growing number of victims. Amidst all this, some people choose to take on a passive role – reading about the problem, hearing about it; but not doing anything until reality strikes them – a loved one dies of smoke-related diseases. Others fortunately choose a more proactive role.
"It's no secret that smoking is hazardous to your health and can lead to an early death. Look at all the lives cut short by cigarette smoke -- George Harrison of The Beatles is a prime example," said Michael Abramowitz, Smoke Free Society's volunteer communications director. "I also cringe anytime I see someone smoking a cigarette. The harm they are doing to their bodies and to those around them through second-hand smoke is incredible." And as shown on smokefreesociety.org, the money it's costing smokers is estimated to be in the millions over a lifetime.
Fortunately, there's hope in the finding that although nearly 50 million Americans smoke, 20 million of them are ready to quit. And 70% of women smokers want to quit if they can get the help they need. According to the organization's website, Time magazine reported that quitting smoking was the top New Year's resolution for 2005. But smokers can't quit without some help.
Enter Superman, Batman, and other super heroes . . . or possibly, you.
"If you can save just one life or if together we can save a million lives, we will have accomplished a lot. If you help prevent just one teenager or together one million teenagers from starting to smoke, we will have accomplished even more," Abramowitz said.
Get Paid to be a Hero
Smoke Free Society makes it possible for us common folks to do great deeds and make decent bucks along the way through their paid and non-paid volunteerism programs. It's possible for a part-time paid volunteer to earn more than $75,000 a year by working 20 hours a week, 50 weeks a year. Under the program, students who wish to earn extra income to augment tuition expenses can also work as a part-time volunteer for which they could make more than $18,750 a year by working 10 hours a week for 50 weeks. A full-time paid volunteer could earn more than $150,000 a year by working 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year.
Volunteers receive a commission for every donation they generate for Smoke Free Society's stop smoking plans. Since one out of five people smoke and the other four want that person to quit, that means most people are eager to help the cause. All volunteers have to do is reach people who want to help themselves or their loved ones quit and provide them with one of Smoke Free Society's life-saving plans in exchange for a donation. These donations help fund educational programs for kids to educate them about smoking and discourage them from starting the habit. There are also incentives that give points to a volunteer based on the donations s/he brings in and her/his recruits.
At the end of the day, you don't only get a sense of fulfillment from the knowledge that you're able to make a difference in the lives of people; you also get paid for it. What will your job description be? Saving lives. And the best thing about the job is that you are your own boss and the hours and location are entirely up to you.
Other volunteer work is also available. Smoke Free Society needs volunteers and wants to hear from you on how you can use your talents and expertise to be a part of helping save lives. It's time to get involved, put your cape on and become the superhero you always wanted to be! Please visit SmokeFreeSociety.org to learn more.
Copyright © 2005 Smoke Free Society
