The facts are clear. There is nothing worse you could do
to adversely affect your health. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable
death. Women are three times more likely to develop lung cancer then men.
Cancer has now replaced heart disease as the number one killer of Americans
aged 85 and younger. 1/3 of all cancer deaths are related to
smoking.
Although there has been a huge decrease in the number of
smokers between 1965 and 2000, 22% of American adults still continue to smoke.
The good news is that surveys have shown that 70% of active smokers want to
quit.
When you quit smoking the benefits are immediate. Blood cells that
transport carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke begin to transport healthy
oxygen. Even though quitting doesn't completely eliminate the risk of
developing lung cancer, the risk of lung cancer starts to decline. One year
after quitting smoking your chances of having a heart attack drops by half. The
risk of lung cancer continues to decline and drop dramatically five to ten
years after quitting. So we know that quitting is essential to enjoying a long
and healthy life. The question is how do you pick the right way to stop smoking
for you?
The first thing you need to know is that most smokers quit
unsuccessfully several times before they quit for good. You will most likely
not be successful your first time around - but you must still try! Each time
you attempt to quit you come closer to finally quitting for good.
There
are many organizations available to help you take control of your health and
quit smoking. Most smokers find a greater success rate in groups. Organizations
such as SmokEnders have community based seminars and will come to the workplace
to counsel smokers. SmokEnders is a gradual stop smoking program that says it's
success is based on treating the physical and the psychological aspects of
smoking. They offer unlimited toll-free phone counseling.
Some people
prefer to try to stop cold turkey. They stop smoking completely with little or
no reduction in the number of cigarettes they smoke beforehand. As with any
smoker who quits, those who quit cold turkey will experience the withdrawal
symptoms of irritability, increased appetite and restlessness. For someone
trying to stop smoking cold turkey help can be obtained using medications such
as Zyban which lessens withdrawal symptoms. Zyban can only be obtained with a
prescription.
Some smokers obtain relief from smoking withdrawal with a
nicotine replacement commonly known as a nicotine patch. Patches are used for
up to eight weeks. Nicotine patches are available over the counter. It is
suggested that you talk to your doctor before trying any over the counter
nicotine replacement therapy.
The American Cancer Society and American
Lung Association have free information available. The federal government also
has free information for smokers available at
http://www.smokefree.gov.
