Quitting smoking For all people trying to quit.

Quitting smoking Why you should drop the habit and how your life will improve if you doBy: Bradyn Musich

Smoking is addictive but a habit worth droppingIn 2011 19.0% of all adults: 21.6% of males, and 16.5% of females (43.8 million people) smoke cigarettes.Each day, nearly 4,000 persons younger than 18 years of age smoke their first cigarette.Each day, about 1,000 persons younger than 18 years of age become new daily cigarette smokers.Approximately 69% of smokers want to quit completely and in 2010 approximately 52% of smokers attempted to quit .(Healton)Smoking is addictive but a habit worth droppingWorldwide, tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year, and current trends show that tobacco use will cause more than 8 million deaths annually by 2030.Cigarette smoking is responsible for about one in five deathsSmoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, and lung diseases (including emphysema, bronchitis, and chronic airway obstruction)(Sander L. Gilman and Xun Zhou).

Live Longer and healthierThe benefits of quitting start immediately! 20 Minutes after quitting: Youre heart rate drops.12 Hours after quitting: Carbon monoxide levels in youre blood drop to normal.2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Youre risk of a heart attack drops and lung function begins to improve(Rabinoff).

Live Longer and healthier1 to 9 months after quitting: Youre coughing and shortness of breath decrease1 Year after quitting: Youre added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smokers5 to 15 years after quitting: Youre stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker (Rabinoff)

Dont worry. You can quit!

Alternatives for quittingThere are alternatives to help you quitCommon methods today are Electronic Cigarettes, nicotine patches, and medication.

If your serious about quitting and wanting to be A successful quitter..You need to be ready to changeYou need to be motivated to quitYou need to know that you ARE strong enough to quit, it will be hard, but YOU CAN DO IT!99.9% of the people who quit are happier with their lives after they quit

If you plan On quitting, you need a plan!Steps to quitting:1. Get Ready2. Get Support3. Learn new skills and behaviors4. Get medication if recommended by your doctor and use it correctly5. Be prepared for cravings and withdrawal symptoms

Step 1: Get ReadySet a quit dateGet rid of all cigarettes and ashtrays, at home, at work, and in your car. Keep a diary of when and why you smokeCall 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free materialsTell friends and family youre are going to stop(""Center For Disease Control And Prevention" ").

Step 2: Get supportYour chances of success increase if you have a support networkAsk friends, family, and coworkers for their support in helping you quitAsk others not to smoke around you or leave cigarettes out in the openTalk to your family physician about tobaccos effects on the body, choosing a quit plan, and dealing with withdrawalGet individual, group, or telephone counseling

Step 3: Learn new skills and behaviorsDistract yourself from wanting to smokeGood ways to do this are:Talk to someoneGo for a walkGet busy with a taskGo somewhere that you are not allowed to smoke

Step 3 Continued:Get out of your old routine and into a new oneHere are a few ideas:Take a different route to workWake up at a different timeEat breakfast in a different placeSubstitute a piece of gum after a meal instead of a cigaretteReduce stress take a hot bath, exercise, or read a bookPlan something enjoyable to do every day

Step 4: Get Medication

Your family physician may recommend one of these nicotine substitutes to help you quit:Nicotine GumNicotine InhalerNicotine Nasal SprayNicotine PatchesStep 5: Avoid relapseMost relapses occur within the first three months(Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults United States).Avoid drinking alcohol drinking lowers your chances of successAvoid being around other smokers can make you want to smokeEat a healthy dietStay ActiveLook for ways besides smoking to improve your mood

YOU CAN too!

Managing withdrawalsSymptomsAre most intense within the first 3 to 7 days and may continue for several weeks but will get less severe.Triggers will queue your cravings Anxiety and restlessness will be common

Managing withdrawalsExercise: it will take away stress and help motivate youReduce or avoid other stimulants like coffee and other caffeinated productsWhen craving a cigarette relax and take deep breathsRelax before going to bed and formulate a nightly routineDrink plenty of water

Managing WithdrawalsWhen quitting it can be hard to concentrate: Here are a few tips to helpAdjust your schedule to a lighter workloadLower your expectations on the amount of work you can doUnderstand the amount of energy and time it takes to stop smoking

Conclusion:Smoking is addictive but by quitting your life will be improved as well as the lives of those around you. Youre life time will increase significantly along with your health. By using a plan that works for you, you can make progress, track youre progress, and if you stick with it eventually quit smoking completely. The alternatives like nicotine patches do help but the best policy is to just quit!References:Sander L. Gilman and Xun Zhou, "Introduction" in Smoke: A Global History of Smoking; p. 26Rabinoff, Michael. Ending The Tobacco Holocaust. 1st ed. Santa Rosa, CA: Elite books, 2006.Print.Healton, Cheryl. Smoking Risk, Perceptions, & Policy. 1st ed. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 2001. Print."Center For Disease Control And Prevention." CDC 24/7 Saving Lives. Protecting People. N.p., 05 Jun 2013. Web. 23 Jul 2013. . "Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults United States, 2011." Center for Disease Control Prevention. (2012): 889-894. Web. 23 Jul. 2013.

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