HealthyLife Articles

Tag: quit smoking

  • Great American Smokeout

    MEDICAL NEWS

    Image of a man breaking a cigarette in half.

    Every year, on the third Thursday of November, the American Cancer Society asks tobacco users to make a plan to quit on this day, or plan in advance and then quit smoking that day.

    Earlier this year, the Surgeon General’s office released The Health Consequences of Smoking-50 Years of Progress. The report showed that adult smoking rates have fallen from about 43% in 1965 to about 18% today, but more than 42 million American adults and more than 3.5 million middle and high school students continue to smoke.

    Get help to quit

    Quitting tobacco is not easy. Nicotine is as addictive as cocaine or heroin.

    *  Use a nicotine replacement product, such as a patch, gum, or lozenges. Use as directed.

    *  Ask your doctor about prescribed medications that can help you quit.

    *  Take part in a non-tobacco use program  and events at work or in your community.

    *  Use the “Get Help to Quit” resources listed on this page.

    Ready, set, go…

    *  Set a quit date. The CDC advises doing this within 2 weeks.

    *  Write down the top reasons you want to quit.

    *  Tell others so they can encourage you. Ask others not to smoke around you.

    *  Get rid of tobacco products and related items from your home, car, and workplace. This includes matches, lighters, and ashtrays.

    *  Avoid drinking while you’re quitting cigarettes. Drinking alcohol can trigger cravings for a cigarette.

    *  When you get the urge to smoke, dip, or chew, take a deep breath through your mouth. Slowly exhale through pursed lips. Repeat 5-10 times.

    *  Have sugarless gum or mints or drink water.

    *  Hold a pen, stress ball, or other small object to keep your hands busy.

    *  Put the money you used to spend on tobacco products in a “ciggy” bank.

    *  Don’t give up if you relapse. Most people try several times before they succeed!

    Get help to quit

    American Lung Association

    800.LUNG.USA (586.4872)

    www.lungusa.org/tobacco

    National Cancer Institute’s Smoking Quitline

    877.44U.QUIT (448.7848)

    www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/smoking

    National Network of Tobacco Cessation Quitlines

    800.QUIT.NOW (784.8669)

    Smokefree Women

    www.women.smokefree.gov

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

    www.smokefree.gov

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Kick Cigarettes Out Of Your House

    SELF-CARE CORNER

    Image of the word "Quit" spelled within a pile of tobacco with a crused cigarette.

    You know that smoking can cause health problems, including heart disease and cancer. But if you smoke inside your home, you could be hurting everyone who lives with you. Anyone who is around cigarette smoke is exposed to secondhand smoke.

    *  Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals. Many of these have been proven to cause cancer and irritate the lungs.

    *  Secondhand smoke can trigger asthma attacks and they happen more often and with more severity in children.

    *  Children whose parents smoke have more ear infections, bronchitis and pneumonia.

    You and your family can be healthier if you don’t allow any smoking in your home. And don’t allow guests to smoke in your home or around your children. If your children regularly visit another home, such as a child care provider, make sure no one smokes in that home.

    If you need help quitting, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visitsmokefree.govfor free resources.

    Source: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine