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November 2015 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
Stopping Smoking
Is Difficult But
Rewarding
Nov. 19 is the Great
American Smokeout
By Jean Jeffers, Staff Writer
Stopping smoking is one of the
best decisions anyone can make in a
lifetime. Few other decisions compare
with the gains and rewards and the
health improvement the cessation
of a smoking habit may have on you
and those around you. The Great
American Smokeout is coming up on
Nov. 18. It is a great time to consider
stopping smoking.
The smoking habit is likened to a
heroin addiction in its veracity. Only
4 percent to 7 percent of people are
able to quit smoking without medication or other aids, according to the
American Cancer Society. Studies
further indicate some 25 percent of
smokers are able to quit with the aid
of medicines such as Zyban, Chantix
and others for at least six months.
Counseling may bring the success rate
up, and behavioral and supportive
therapies increase rates even further.
This is all good news for the smoker
who wants to quit.
The American Cancer Association
recommends having a plan in mind
when you stop smoking. This may
include:
1. Setting a quit date and on that
date stop – no more cigarettes.
2. Planning for temptations and
cravings. Know what kind of activity, such as knitting, you will do with
your hands; use a swizzle stick, a cinnamon stick or sugarless hard candy
to satisfy oral needs.
3. Avoiding natural triggers such as
the desire to smoke with your morning coffee by changing your routine.
4. Putting new habits in place, preferably ones that are healthy.
5. Developing a group of friends
who do not smoke.
6. Getting support from family and
friends but also from groups such as
Nicotine Anonymous.
7. Having a meaningful reason for
wanting to stop smoking. The more
meaningful and personal the reason,
the better your resolve may be.
8. Working with your cravings.
When they come (and they will),
seek out help. There are two kinds
of cravings: physical cravings, which
are strong at first and pass within
two weeks or less (day three is the
worst), and psychological cravings,
which may last longer, up to a couple
of months. And do not forget there
will also be withdrawal symptoms. Be
aware of what these symptoms may
include.
9. Eating well. Eat fresh fruit and
vegetables. Many people worry about
weight gain, and there may be some
when you quit, but it is better to wait
until after you stop smoking to worry
about your weight.
Smokefree.gov gives the following
tips to boost your mood after quitting:
1. Stay active with moderate regu-
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lar exercise.
2. Structure each day and do things
with other people.
3. Continue doing what has been
fun for you in the past.
4. Talk with friends and loved ones.
According to the American Cancer
Society, stopping smoking has the following benefits:
• 20 minutes after quitting: Heart
rate and blood pressure drop.
• 12 hours after quitting: Carbon
monoxide levels in blood drops.
• Two weeks to three months after
quitting: Lung function increases.
• One to nine months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of
breath decrease.
• At the one-year mark: Coronary
heart disease risk is reduced by half.
• Five years later: Risk of some
cancers is cut in half.
• 10 years later: Mortality from
lung cancer is cut in half.
• 15 years later: Risk of coronary
heart disease is that of a non-smoker.
What are you waiting for?
If you need some help getting started, check out the following national
organizations:
Nicotine Anonymous (www.
nicotine-anonymous.org)
QuitNet (www.quitnet.com)
The American Cancer Society
(1-800-227-2345/www.cancer.org)
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MAY / JUNE 2015
VOL. 11 ISSUE 2
Aches&
Pains
ENTERTAINMENT • HEALTH • BARGAINS • LIFESTYLE
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