Addiction

[DesertMedic66]

While at our main station the other day a topic of conversation was started regarding addiction. In this conversation 5-6 medics mentioned that they only started doing something during paramedic school. Some state they started drinking heavily, others started smoking, some started to vape, and others started to dip/chew.

This was something that I did not know was even a thing. I didn't have any of those issues when I started medic school and did not develop them during school or even after. I honestly did not find paramedic school to be all that tough or stressful so that may have been part of the reason.

If anyone is up to sharing did EMT or Paramedic school cause you to start having any kind of addictions good or bad?

 

[EpiEMS]

I'd be surprised if EMT school caused any addictions...
That said, I probably put on 5 pounds or so - I like to nosh on Twizzlers while I study. And I tend to take any excuse to study a book...

I was surprised when I started out in EMS how many folks used (smoking) tobacco products regularly (almost a fifth - admittedly, the general population is just slightly less at ~15%). I wouldn't be so worried if it was vapes or ecigarettes (much less risky - and even snus are *relatively* safe), but the prevalence of smoking bothers me.

As healthcare professionals (or public safety professionals, or some strange hybrid of healthcare, public safety, and public health), we need to clearly recognize the problem of EMS providers being overweight, smoking, and drinking to excess.

NYS has had a policy on smoking for a long while now, and I think it is pretty reasonable. If I were an agency director, I would ban smoking on or near my facilities, and prohibit smoking in uniform.

 

[akflightmedic]

I think people will do whatever they want to do and will use anything as an excuse to justify it aside from personal responsibility/accountability.

No school, no situation, no person will ever put a cigarette between your lips, dip in the gums, drink in your glass, or any other vice. It is a personal decision/action which develops internally. However, human nature, we do not like admitting fault when it is all our bad decision 100%, we soften it by blaming other situations/events/people in the hopes it minimizes the addiction and gains empathy from others who also have their own vices (usually) and then extend sympathy.

 

[VentMonkey]

I think people will do whatever they want to do and will use anything as an excuse to justify it aside from personal responsibility/accountability.

No school, no situation, no person will ever put a cigarette between your lips, dip in the gums, drink in your glass, or any other vice. It is a personal decision/action which develops internally. However, human nature, we do not like admitting fault when it is all our bad decision 100%, we soften it by blaming other situations/events/people in the hopes it minimizes the addiction and gains empathy from others who also have their own vices (usually) and then extend sympathy.

Quoted for 100%, but more so for the adulting factor. Any crutch one uses often indicates a lack of mental maturity at least IMO.

 

[NPO]

I've never used tobacco and I don't drink, so no bad vices. But I started drinking a lot of caffeine in various forms; coffee, iced coffee, soda, energy drinks, etc.

I started having palpitations so frequently that it actually became a problem. I'd have a run of them and it would make me feel sick. Often it was so bad I'd stop a conversation and sulk away to a bathroom or something. I realized it might be caffeine and stopped the intake on my own, and went and saw my doctor when they didn't stop after a week or so. He put me in a halter monitor. "nothing crazy" he said, but I did nothing the results stated my fastest heart rate was 170.

I did the math. I was consuming anywhere from 2000-2500mg of caffeine daily. Googlefu says 400mg is the daily recommended maximum.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[SandpitMedic]

Your post.

Bingo

 

[EpiEMS]

I have to say, maybe the issue of "why is alcohol abuse, tobacco use, and substance abuse so common in EMS" is answered by the same thing that I posit as the answer for our professionalism issues...

Demographics.

EMS is youthful, generally white, mostly male, and generally populated by folks with "some college" (less than an associates' degree). Well, that is very nicely matched to the profile of who smokes and drinks to excess.

(Saying this as a ~26 year-old white male with an undergraduate degree who doesn't smoke or excessively drink).

 

[Jim37F]

Pretty much all the local FDs have a blanket "no tobbaco use, on or off duty, ever. You wanna be one of our FFs, you need to quit" policy. Yet a surprisingly hi number of my EMT coworkers who want to be FFs at those departments not only smoke or dip (dipping is quite common...) but are unashamed about it "Oh man, today's gonna be a bad day, I forgot my chew at home" type sentiments are common. "Post move up? Let me pack my lip real quick...damn we got a call right now? Fine I'll wait till we get to the scene first before i spit it out..."

 

[VentMonkey]

I had no clue what "dipping" was until I entered this field.

(Saying this as a tobacco-free-not-so-caucasian male who doesn't use tobacco products).

 

[EpiEMS]

Pretty much all the local FDs have a blanket "no tobbaco use, on or off duty, ever.

I recommended adoption of this policy to a supervisor once. They said that it wasn't allowed. I...was very skeptical.

 

[VentMonkey]

I recommended adoption of this policy to a supervisor once. They said that it wasn't allowed. I...was very skeptical.

Curious as to why? I'm not knocking, as it sounds like a good idea to me. Was the supe you approached a smoker/ dipper?

I was able to help push my last partner (a very long time smoker) out of the chain-smoking clutches of big tobacco companies; been cigarette-free over a year now, and still going strong.

 

[NysEms2117]

I dont dip/chew, i know people that do. I never developed any habits other then pissing my teacher off lol.
@DesertMedic66 if you care to help the medics using dip show them this:
https://www.getgrinds.com/

A few of my buddys that dip/chew use it now it is much much healthier

 

[E tank]

I recommended adoption of this policy to a supervisor once. They said that it wasn't allowed. I...was very skeptical.

Smoking is legal and employers can't, as a condition of employment, dictate what legal activity off duty, off premises/apparatus employees may or may not participate in.

 

[akflightmedic]

While an employer may have issue dictating it "off duty", several powerful unions (IAFF) can put this in their contracts for consideration because ultimately it leads to a healthier work force, lower health insurance premiums for all (employer included as many forget that your employer pays the other half of your medical FYI or all of it) which means cost savings and more money for salaries/funding/equipment, more personal savings to the FF...etc.

I do not know how they do it legally but I do know it is done legally....

 

[EpiEMS]

Curious as to why? I'm not knocking, as it sounds like a good idea to me. Was the supe you approached a smoker/ dipper?

I was able to help push my last partner (a very long time smoker) out of the chain-smoking clutches of big tobacco companies; been cigarette-free over a year now, and still going strong.

I'm not entirely clear as to why - there are some longstanding staff who are smokers...
The supervisor was not a smoker. Apparently, such a policy had been investigated at one time, but legal counsel indicated what E tank said.

Smoking is legal and employers can't, as a condition of employment, dictate what legal activity off duty, off premises/apparatus employees may or may not participate in.

So, I'm not sure if this is necessarily true in every state, but it is in CT. However, in CT, for one, there are exemptions for municipalities employing PDs and FFs.

 

[E tank]

A few of my buddys that dip/chew use it now it is much much healthier

Don't tell this guy that.

 

[akflightmedic]

Weed is legal in many states now too....alcohol is legal.

Cigs, weed, booze...all classified as drugs...so with the logic of cigs are legal and we cannot regulate "off duty" can I now as a Firefighter go get stoned off my *** the day prior to my shift? I mean it is legal and I am OFF DUTY. Just saying, there are legal ways to restrict everything.

 

[NysEms2117]

Don't tell this guy that.

View attachment 3645

ithink you read it wrong. Using Grinds coffee "dip" is much healthier then tobacco.

 

[VentMonkey]

While an employer may have issue dictating it "off duty", several powerful unions (IAFF) can put this in their contracts for consideration because ultimately it leads to a healthier work force, lower health insurance premiums for all (employer included as many forget that your employer pays the other half of your medical FYI or all of it) which means cost savings and more money for salaries/funding/equipment, more personal savings to the FF...etc.

I do not know how they do it legally but I do know it is done legally....

Oh, but it sounds as if you do know. They're selling it as such to the powers that be who, in turn, buy into it.

Honestly, I don't think it's a bad angle. I guess a loose comparison could be battery powered gurneys and the reduction in back injuries, which in turn (and in theory) means less workers comp claims?

I'm only speculating, as I am not an employer.

I've never used tobacco and I don't drink, so no bad vices. But I started drinking a lot of caffeine in various forms; coffee, iced coffee, soda, energy drinks, etc.

I started having palpitations so frequently that it actually became a problem.

I did the math. I was consuming anywhere from 2000-2500mg of caffeine daily. Googlefu says 400mg is the daily recommended maximum.

Isn't the first step admitting there's a problem?

In all seriousness, I'm a caffeine drinker as well. I think many of us are, and you're right, it sure can manifest into an addiction, even an unhealthy one.

To the thread topic directly-

I also tend to think many people in general have addictive personalities, I'm one of them. I just think all too often it's easier to form unhealthy addictions such as excessive smoking and drinking to cope with stress; this is absolutely nothing new.

Even with a wellness program in place though, how can anyone be forced into healthy addictions such as a balanced diet, and routine exercise? None of it sounds appealing to the masses, it takes (ugh) work and effort.

Then again, I'm a person who plain willed myself to change a lot about what I didn't find particularly useful or productive to my lifestyle, that seems more intrinsic than enforced; maybe I'm wrong?

 

[Carlos Danger]

Smoking is legal and employers can't, as a condition of employment, dictate what legal activity off duty, off premises/apparatus employees may or may not participate in.

Don't tell Cleveland Clinic that.