Carl Case Study
The following case study examines the situation involving an Alaska Native man named Carl who has issues with iqmik, an Alaska Native chewing tobacco.
3. Consequences for Carl
Carl is considering setting a quit date a month from now to give it a try. Carl reports past issues with coronary artery disease, a slight heart attack in the past year, sores in mouth, shortness of breath, and coughing. Recently, Carl has noticed that the sores in his mouth seem to be making his tongue raw as well. Carl remembers his tongue feeling “weird” when he was younger and is feeling that again since he has increased the amount he chews. Carl tries to exercise regularly be it chopping wood or in the form of other work around the home. He states that if he could lose 10-15 pounds he’d be happier. Carl does not report depression but feels some anxiety from time to time. Carl does not bring this up with his doctor because he does not want prescription medicines. He does not drink alcohol. Carl has never tried to quit.