 It’s
never too late to quit and there's never an easy time
to do it. So quit now, right now, put down that cigarette, it's
so easy to smoke them while on the computer. To quit, you need
to break your addiction to nicotine and to the habit of smoking
-- which also includes the pleasure you get from smoking.
I think
some people are addicted to everything that goes along with
the act of smoking; lighting that match or lighter, the manual
and oral pleasure, no wonder it's so darn hard. Your habits
are the behaviors that go with your tobacco use, such as lighting
a cigarette when you get out of work or school, when you walk
the dog, after dinner, in the morning or whatever your personal
smoking behaviors are.
Ways
To Make Quitting Easier (It’s Not Easy For Most
People)
 Pick a date to stop, if you can’t stop today. Choose
one two to four weeks from now so you can get ready to quit.
If possible, choose a time when things in your life will change,
like when you're about to start a break from school. Or just
pick a time when you don’t expect any extra stress at school,
work or home. Of course life is very unpredictable so you just
can't wait for there to be NO stress in your life. Wouldn't
that be easy.
Make a list of the reasons why you want to quit. Keep that list
available so you can look at it when you have a nicotine craving.
Make a list of what you like about smoking also.
Keep a record of where, when and why you smoke. You may want
to make notes for a week or so to know ahead of time when and
why you will crave a cigarette. Plan what you will do instead
of smoking (see list above for ideas). You may also want to
plan what you'll say to people who pressure you to smoke.
Throw or give away all of your tobacco. Clean out your room
if you have smoked there. Throw or give away your ashtrays and
lighters, just get them out of your house and or room.
Tell your friends that you ’re quitting. Ask them
not to pressure you about smoking. Find other things to do with
them besides smoking. If you have to avoid being around people
who smoke, do that for a while. But do
let friends know why you are avoiding them. You’re doing
this for YOU, not them.
When your stop date arrives, STOP. Plan little rewards for yourself
for each tobacco-free day, week or month. Buy yourself a new
top, get some new chewing gum, ask a friend to see a movie.
Take a friend to get your favorite dessert or decaf... whatever.
Go ahead, put
it out, it might just be next to your computer.
Reasons
Not to Smoke (You know them..)
Cancer Risk! - Lung cancer kills more women than breast
cancer every year in the U.S.
MONEY! It’s expensive (over $1000 a year for a pack
a day, an estimation, it can be more)
Bad breath -- others do smell it
Stained teeth and fingers
Cough/sore throat
Breathing problems
Fatigue
Wrinkles (more, sooner than people who don't smoke)
Arguments with parents, friends who want you to stop smoking.
Heart disease risk, including heart attack, no you’re
not too young.
Gum disease risk
It stinks up your clothes, hair, skin, car, pets, it goes
on and on...
Cigarette burns on your clothes or in the house, car,
wherever
Risk of second hand smoke to people around you
(and your
pets too)
Nonsmokers don’t like kissing smokers. There is nothing
sexy about smoking.
The Numbers on Teenage Smoking
4,500,000 -- The estimated number of children and adolescents
in the United States who smoke.
6000 -- The estimated number of people under the age of
18 who try their first cigarette each day.
70% -- The percent of smokers 12 to 17 years old who wish
they had never started smoking. (Statistics
From the American Lung Association)
What’s
in Tobacco?
There are more than 4,000 chemicals found in cigarettes (250
are toxic poisons, 50 cause cancer) Some chemicals found
in tobacco include:
Ammonia (found in toilet bowl cleaner); Arsenic (ingredient
in rat poison); Polonium 210 (nuclear waste); Carbon
Monoxide (car exhaust); Acetone (used in finger nail
polish remover)
Nicotine remains in the body for 8 to 12 hours after a single
use of tobacco.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Common
Concerns About Quitting:
Will I gain
weight when I quit?
Probably.
Most people gain a few pounds. Other people lose weight. The
main reason some people gain weight is because they eat more
food as a substitute for smoking. You can avoid gaining weight
by watching how much you eat, by staying busy and working out.
ANOTHER reason people gain weight is because smoking increases
your metabolism, with some people as high as a 7% increase,
I am not going to lie about this, so you may have to increase
your metabolism with exercise. Nicotine also works as an appetite suppressant for many people; other people believe it relieves stress. Ask any model her secrets for being thin. I have asked, most say caffeine and cigarettes.
How will I feel when I quit?
Awful at
first. You may feel irritable and cranky. You may also get angry
or upset faster, have trouble concentrating or feel hungrier
than usual. You may have headaches and cough more at first (while
your lungs are clearing out). All of these can be symptoms of
withdrawal from nicotine. Keep in mind that the worst symptoms
will be over in a few days. However, you may still have cravings
for tobacco. Those cravings have less to do with nicotine addiction
and more to do with the habit of smoking.
What About Nicotine Gum or Patches?
These products
may help you if you feel like you can’t quit on your own
or you have serious withdrawal symptoms. Don’t use the
gum or patch without talking to your health care provider first.
These products were not designed for teenagers and could make
you sick if you use them the wrong way. You may need to follow
special instructions, especially if you have any medical conditon.
If you’re an adult and you want to
try nicotine patch products, go ahead, but remember you’re
still getting your nicotine throught your skin and so you are still addicted to
it. There are more "natural" approaches to quitting that work.
Here is a product that is a natural system to help you stop
quitting. I don't smoke, but as a registered nurse, I would
recommend this kind of product before resorting to getting your
nicotine through a patch or gum. ~ Amy, RN ~
Smoking
and Pregnancy
- Does cigarette smoke get through to the unborn baby?
Answer:
Yes, when the mother smokes, so does the baby. Smokers take
in poisons such as nicotine and carbon monoxide (the same gas
that comes out of a car's exhaust pipe). These poisons get into
the placenta, which is the tissue that connects the mother and
the baby before it is born. These poisons keep the unborn baby
from getting the food and oxygen needed to grow.
What
if I Can’t Quit?
You can
quit. Most people try to quit more than once before they succeed.
So don’t give up, you may not quit the first time you try.
Just don’t go out and buy a whole pack of cigarettes if
you think you 'failed'. (Candy helps sometimes, especially chocolate).
Take some time to think about what happened to cause you to
slip. Figure out how you’ll handle that situation differently
next time. Then try again. You can do it!
Don't
Let Another Year Go Up In Smoke
Are
you one of most smokers who want to quit?
Try following
this advice...
1. Don’t
smoke any number or any kind of cigarette. Smoking even a few
cigarettes a day can hurt your health. If you try to smoke fewer
cigarettes, but do not stop completely, soon you’ll be
smoking the same amount again.
Smoking
low-tar, “low-nicotine cigarettes” usually does little
good, either. Because nicotine is so addictive, if you switch
to lower-nicotine brands you’ll likely just puff harder,
longer, and more often on each cigarette. The only safe choice
is to quit completely.
2. Write
down why you want to quit. Do
you want:
to feel in control of you life?
to have better health?
to set a good example for your children? (If you are a parent,
obviously).
to protect your family from breathing other people?s smoke?
Really
wanting to quit smoking is very important to how much success
you will have in quitting. Smokers who live after a heart attack
are the most likely to quit for good they are very motivated.
Find a reason for quitting before you have no choice.
3. Know
that it will take effort to quit smoking. Nicotine is habit
forming. Half of the battle in quitting is knowing you need
to quit. This knowledge will help you be more able to deal with
the symptoms of withdrawal that can occur, such as bad moods
and really wanting to smoke. There are many ways smokers quit,
including using nicotine replacement products (gum and patches),
but there is no easy way. Nearly all smokers have some feelings
of nicotine withdrawal when they try to quit. Give yourself
a month to get over these feelings. Take quitting one day at
a time, even one minute at a time whatever you need to succeed.
4. Half
of all adult smokers have quit, so you can too. That’s
the good news. There are millions of people alive today who
have learned to face life without a cigarette. For staying healthy,
quitting smoking is the best step you can take.
5. Get help
if you need it. Many groups offer written materials, programs,
and advice to help smokers quit for good. Your doctor or dentist
is also a good source of help and support.
For more
help:
NEW
- Try
the Quit Smoking Quiz...
Check out: Quit
Smoking for Good: Steps to Stopping By Eric Sabo
Smoking can even interfere with your SLEEP!
Find
out more...
Stress
Skills - for stress management help, and Stress
Management
Smoking Marijuana?
New Lung
Cancer Treatment Options!
Source:
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Some
Resources on The Web:
Nicotine
Anonymous
American
Lung Association
There’s
help out there, you
don’t have to do it alone. Good luck.
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