The Air That I Breathe: Dr. Matthew Steliga

Wonks at Work

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in Arkansas, claiming more lives each year than HIV, illicit drug use, alcohol, motor vehicle injuries, and firearm-related incidents combined. Tobacco use in the state has dropped significantly over the past decade, but Arkansas’s smoking rate still ranks among the highest in the U.S. Plus, the use of e-cigarettes has drastically increased, with roughly 1 in 10 Arkansans vaping regularly. To explore these challenges, as well as some hopeful new treatments for lung cancer, we’re joined on this episode by Dr. Matthew Steliga, a thoracic surgeon at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and a member of the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Advisory Committee for Arkansas.