According to the U.S. Surgeon General, one out of every five Americans or 480,000 deaths every year can be blamed on smoking. Although the risk and hazards of smoking have been known and reported for many years, as many as 14 million smokers still do not believe that smoking tobacco increases the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and long-term lung problems such as bronchitis and emphysema. Smoking is a leading cause of a serious and life-threatening condition to unborn babies from premature birth and low birth weight. Second hand smoke (breathing smoke from other people) reduces the quality of life for the smoker and everyone around him. This habit affects those people you love.

Nicotine, only one of the dangerous substances found in tobacco, is a very addictive drug. For some people, it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine. It can make quitting very hard and most people who try to quit make two or more tries before finally being able to quit. Each time you try to quit, you can learn more about what helps and what hurts. But if you stick with it, you will be successful!

Quitting takes hard work and a lot of effort, but you can quit smoking!

Keys for Quitting … Permanently

Get Ready

• List your reasons to quit.
• Set a quit date.
• Change your environment.
  - Get rid of ALL cigarettes and ashtrays in your home, car and work
  - Don’t allow others to smoke in your home.
• Think about what worked and what did not the last time you tried to quit.
• Once you quit, don’t smoke even a puff.

Get Support

• Tell everyone that you are quitting and ask for their support.
• Ask your healthcare provider about proven ways to stop smoking.
• Get individual, group or telephone counseling from community programs that help people to quit. Ask your doctor for information.

 Learn New Behaviors

• Distract your urge to smoke
  - Talk to a friend, go for a walk
  - Busy yourself with a project
• Change your routine
  - Use a different route to work
  - Drink tea instead of coffee
• Reduce your stress
  - Exercise
  - Work on a hobby
  - Read a book
• Plan something fun everyday
• Drink a lot of water and other fluids

Talk to Your Healthcare Provider About Safe Medications

• Nicotine gum
• Nicotine inhaler
• Nicotine nasal spray
• Nicotine patch
• Medications ordered by your healthcare provider

Prepare Yourself for Difficult Situations

• Avoid alcohol; drinking lowers your chance of success.
• Avoid friends who smoke; it just makes it harder on you.
• Expect a small weight gain, usually less than 10 pounds.
• Be prepared for a bad mood or some depression; look for healthier ways to improve your mood instead of smoking.

Instant Health Benefits After Quitting

• 20 minutes - your blood pressure drops
• 8 hours - carbon monoxide lowers, blood oxygen levels return to normal
• 24 hours - you decrease your risk of heart attack
• 48 hours - you can smell and taste again
• 2 weeks to 3 months - circulation continues to improve, activity is easier
• 1 to 9 months - smoking related lung problems decrease, you are less tired, infection fighting ability improves
• 5 years - deaths from lung, mouth and throat cancer decrease by half. Stroke risk is the same as a non-smoker
• 10 years - lung cancer risk decreases to half that of continuing smokers.
• 15 years - risk of death returns to nearly the level of never smokers.

 Don’t let smoking waste anymore of your life. Consider the money and your health that you can save. You won’t regret it!

Click here for more information on the Smoking Cessation program at UT Medical Center and more quit smoking tips.



References
U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, 2000. Developed Oct. 2005.