Smoking is Drug AddictionSmoking raises your risk for cancer, lung disease, and heart disease. When you smoke, you also harm the health of those around you. People who smoke may become addicted to the nicotine. Although it may become very hard to break this addiction, it can be accomplished. If you smoke, you need to quit now. When you stop smoking, you will enjoy better health and many other benefits. You may have fewer coughs and colds. You will create a healthier environment for your family and others around you who will no longer be forced to breathe your "secondhand smoke." You will have more money to spend on things you want, and your breath, hair, and clothes will smell better. Try These Tips Make a list of the reasons you want to quit. Read them each day to remind yourself of the many benefits you will enjoy once you quit. Pick a date to quit and stick to it. Unless you can resolve to set a starting time and keep it, nothing will ever begin to happen. It will always be tomorrow. Ask your family and friends to support you in your fight to quit smoking. Receiving praise from others can be very motivating. Talk with your doctor about nicotine replacement. Patches or gums are available over-the-counter in stores. Nicotine sprays or inhalers are available by prescription. If you decide to go "Cold Turkey," the nicotine will be in your system for three days and completely gone in seven days. Stay away from other people who smoke. You must remember that much of this psychological and influential. Identify your triggers, feelings or situations that make you want to "light up." Avoid those triggers and rearrange your daily routine to avoid those smoking times when drinking coffee, watching TV, phone calls, driving, etc. Find something else to do when you want to smoke. Get involved in activities that you enjoy, like exercise or do craft projects. Just keep your mind off smoking. Reward yourself for quitting. Each day, put the money you would have spent on cigareetes into a jar. At the end of every month, spend that money on a new outfit or a fancy meal in a restaurant. Do not punish yourslf for lapses in your resolve. If you do have one cigarette, forget it and start over. Drink lots of water and juice instead of coffee, alcohol or other beverages associated with smoking. Choose healthy snacks to curb your cravings like fruits and vegetables, whole grain cereals, pastas, bread, etc. Exercise regularly to reduce stress, calm yourself, control your appetite, burn caories/lose weight, improve your mood and attitude. Be prepared for your nicotine cravings. Plan what you will do the next time you crave a cigarette: deep breathing/relaxation, think positive, go to a non-smoking area (library, stores, church, movie), write down why you want to be a non-smoker, walk or stretch. Don't think about the long road ahead. Just try to avoid smoking one day at a time. If you cannot stop all together, at least start cutting back. IT TAKES TIME, BUT YOU CAN QUIT! My First and Last Cigarette by Tony Campos I had my first cigarette at the age of six. My grandfather used to roll up his own cigarettes. I still recall being in his kitchen and watching him roll the light. I demanded to have one. He smiled and then he made me one of those cigarettes. I placed it in my mouth and then I blew out on it. The smoke came out just fine. Then he told me that I was not doing it properly. He said that I had to breathe it in to get the full taste of it. I inhaled. Then..... I must have turned blue in the face in pure agony. I could not believe the burning sensation from within. I was only six years old, but I still recall thinking just how stupid this was to burn the living hell out of your lungs. I never smoked again. (true story by Tony Campos, your host)
What Happens When You Stop Smoking? 20 MINUTES after your last cigarette 1. Blood pressure improves. 2. Pulse rate drops to normal. 3. Temperature of hand and feet increases to normal. 8 HOURS after your last cigarette 1. Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal. 2. Oxygen level in blood increases to normal. 24 HOURS after your last cigarette 1. Chance of heart attack decreases. 48 HOURS after your last cigarette 1. Nerve endings start to grow back. 2. Senses of smell and taste are enhanced. 2-12 WEEKS after your last cigarette 1. Circulation improves. 2. Walking becomes easier. 3. Lung function increases up to 30%. 9 MONTHS after your last cigarette 1. Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease. 2. Overall energy level increases. 3. Cilia regrow in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection. 1 YEAR after your last cigarette 1. Excess risk of coronary artery disease is half that of a smoker. 5 YEARS after your last cigarette 1. Lung cancer death rate for average smoker decreases by almost half. 2. Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker. 3. Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus is hald that of a smoker's. 10 YEARS after your last cigarette 1. Lung cancer death rate is similar to the rate of a nonsmoker. 2. Precancerous cells are replaced. 3. Risk of cancer of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases. SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? |