Mike Fisk says the warning labels on packages of cigarettes and chewing tobacco are not big enough. He believes people are not being told enough about the dangers of tobacco. If he had his way, tobacco would be illegal.
"I would like to see it banned completely. Tobacco is the worst drug that is available that is legal," Fisk said.Fisk has good reason for his tough talk. About five years ago he was diagnosed with thromboangiitis obliterans, commonly known as Buerger's disease. The disease, acquired from using tobacco, is sometimes called nicotine poisoning. It cuts off circulation to the small veins and arteries, mainly in the body's extremities.
In the past five years Fisk has undergone six amputations. It all started with an infection in one of his toes, an infection that Buerger's disease prevented his body from fighting.
While growing up, Fisk was active in athletics. For more than nine years he was a competitive swimmer, winning dozens of medals on the state and local levels. As a student at Springville High School, Fisk competed on the varsity football, track and wrestling teams. At 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 220 pounds he was considered a star athlete.
Fisk also started chewing tobacco at age 14. For about nine years he chewed a can a day. A year after high school, he got married and switched to smoking.
"At that point in time I didn't feel like it was habit forming, I was just doing it for fun," he said.
Fisk's athletic days are over. He now starts every day by putting on his two prosthetic legs. Once a big man, his body now ends 6 inches below his knees.
"It would be nice to go jogging or work out like I used to, but maybe I'll be able to someday," he said.
Peter F. Lawrence, a professor of surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine, was one of the doctors who diagnosed Fisk as suffering from Buerger's disease. "Mike is one of the few documented cases where the disease is definitely the result of chewing tobacco," Lawrence said.
In fact, doctors often recommend that those who smoke and have Buerger's disease switch to chewing tobacco.
Because Fisk's case is so rare, doctors at the U. recently did a case report about him for a medical journal. The report urges doctors to start recognizing the association between Buerger's disease and the use of smokeless tobacco. The report says those diagnosed with Buerger's disease should not only stop smoking, but also stop using smokeless tobacco.
Fisk's battle against the disease is not over. In October he had an artery transplanted into his right arm because it, too, was being choked off by the disease. If he injures his hands in any way, he could lose his arms. For this reason doctors don't want him to work.
As a single parent with three children, ranging from age 2 to age 6, Fisk now depends on state and federal assistance. He spends his days doing household chores and taking care of his children. During the summer he takes his children camping. He also visits his friends a lot and watches a lot of movies.
"There's no sense in sitting around feeling sorry for myself, because the sun comes up every day. Besides, I have three responsibilities that take more priority than my self pity."
Fisk spends much of his time doing anti-tobacco lobbying. He speaks at local schools and at anti-drug and alcohol seminars. He believes young people need to be better informed about all the dangers of tobacco use, not just the cancer risks that most people know about.
"If you think you can use this drug and not have a problem with it, you're wrong, because everybody who uses it has a problem with it. It just manifests itself differently for different people. Look at me, I was a big healthy athlete and nicotine destroyed my body. If it can destroy my body, it can destroy yours."