Do You Smoke?
by Cecil Hodges, NP
Reasons to consider quitting
- Improve your health
- Reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease
- Feel, look, smell better
- Improve your ability to be active
- Save money
- Fewer hassles
Benefits of Quitting
24-48 hours
- decreased risk of heart attack
- increased sense of taste/smell
- more money in the bank
1-3 months
- 30% increase of lung function
- heart rate/blood pressure decrease
- less illness (colds and flu)
3-9 months
- decreased cough/shortness of breath
- increased energy
- look better - whiter teeth, fewer wrinkles, improved circulation
5-10 years
reduced risk of stroke & cancer of lungs, mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas
Stumbling Blocks & How to Counteract Them:
Physical Cravings
- breathe deeply
- drink water (6-8 glasses/day)
- distract yourself with activities
Weight Gain
- drink water (6-8 glasses/day)
- chew gum, eat sugarless mints, drink herbal tea
- increase physical activity
- choose healthy snacks - avoid spicy and sugary foods
- eat slowly and pause between bites
- avoid alcohol and stress
- breathe deeply
- practice relaxation techniques
- meditation
- increase physical activity
Social Triggers
- identify tempting places, people, and situations and prepare a strategy to fight urge to smoke ahead of time
- change schedule to maximize time in smoke free environments
- ask friends (even smokers) for support
- carry emergency gum, mints, toothpicks or straws
Cough/Throat Discomfort
- drink water
- use cough drops
- problem will resolve in a few weeks
Headaches
- drink water
- practice relaxation techniques
- meditation
- problem will resolve in 1-2 weeks
Sources of Support
- Friends
- Family
- Classes
- Medications:
- Nicotine replacement (patch, spray, gum)
- Prescription Zyban or Wellbutrin
Resources
Smoker's quit line: 800-try-to-stop
American Cancer Society: 800-acs-2345
What if I am not Ready?
Consider stepping down the level of nicotine in your cigarette, using a chart available to you upon request. To request the chart, call Cecil at 781-681-3425, and leave your name and address for her to mail it to you.
About the Chart
If you are in nicotine group #6, then you smoke cigarettes with 12 or more units of nicotine per cigarette vs. group #1 that has 1-3 units of nicotine per cigarette. Step down from group 6 to group 5 to group 4 until you are down to group 1 and then consider quitting altogether.