Quitting Smoking

Overview

It’s never too late to quit smoking, though there's never an easy time to do it. To quit, you need to break your addiction to nicotine and to the habit of smoking--which also includes the pleasure you get from smoking.

Some people are addicted to everything that goes along with the act of smoking, such as lighting that match or lighter or the manual and oral pleasure. Your habits are the behaviors that go with your tobacco use, such as lighting a cigarette when you get out of work or school, when you walk the dog, after dinner or in the morning.

Ways To Make Quitting Easier. It’s Not Easy For Most People

If you can’t stop today, pick a date to stop. Choose one two to four weeks from now so you can get ready to quit. If possible, choose a time when things in your life will change, like when you're about to start a break from school. Or just pick a time when you don’t expect any extra stress at school, work or home. Just don't expect to find a time where there is no stress in your life.

Make a list of the reasons you want to quit. Keep that list available so you can look at it when you have a nicotine craving. Make a list of what you like about smoking also.

Keep a record of where, when and why you smoke. You may want to make notes for a week or so to know ahead of time when and why you will crave a cigarette. Plan what you will do instead of smoking, such as the accompanying list of ideas. You may also want to plan what you'll say to people who pressure you to smoke.

Throw or give away all of your tobacco. Clean out your room if you have smoked there. Throw or give away your ashtrays and lighters.

Tell your friends that you’re quitting. Ask them not to pressure you about smoking. Find other things to do with them besides smoking. If you have to avoid being around people who smoke, do that for a while. But do let friends know why you are avoiding them.

When your date arrives, stop. Plan little rewards for yourself for each tobacco-free day, week or month. Buy yourself a new top, get some new chewing gum, ask a friend to see a movie. Take a friend to get your favorite dessert or decaf, something to reward you for your efforts.

Reasons Not to Smoke

Cancer Risk. Lung cancer kills more women than breast cancer every year in the U.S.
Money. Smoking can cost $1,000 a year, maybe more, for a pack-a-day habit
Bad breath. Others do smell it
Stained teeth and fingers
Cough/sore throat
Breathing problems
Fatigue
Wrinkles. You'll have morea nd get them sooner than people who don't smoke
Arguments with parents, friends who want you to stop smoking.
Heart disease risk, including heart attack. No, you’re not too young.
Gum disease risk
It stinks up your clothes, hair, skin, car, pets, it goes on and on...
Cigarette burns on your clothes or in the house, car
Risk of secondhand smoke to people around you (and your pets too)
Nonsmokers don’t like kissing smokers. There is nothing sexy about smoking.

The Numbers on Teenage Smoking

4.5 million--The estimated number of children and adolescents in the United States who smoke.
6000 -- The estimated number of people under the age of 18 who try their first cigarette each day.
70 percent--The percent of smokers age 12 to 17 who wish they had never started smoking. (Statistics From the American Lung Association)

What’s in Tobacco?

There are more than 4,000 chemicals found in cigarettes, among them are 250 toxic poisons and 50 that can cause cancer.

Some chemicals found in tobacco include:
Ammonia, ound in toilet bowl cleaner; arsenic, ingredient in rat poison; polonium 210, nuclear waste; carbon monoxide,car exhaust; acetone, used in fingernail polish remover
Nicotine remains in the body for 8 to 12 hours after a single use of tobacco.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Common Concerns About Quitting:

Will I gain weight when I quit?
Probably. Most people gain a few pounds. Other people lose weight. The main reason some people gain weight is because they eat more food as a substitute for smoking. You can avoid gaining weight by watching how much you eat, by staying busy and working out. Another reason people gain weight is because smoking increases metabolism, with some people as high as a 7 percent increase, Exercise may be needed increase your metabolism. Nicotine also works as an appetite suppressant for many people; other people believe it relieves stress. Ask any model her secrets for being thin. I have asked, most say caffeine and cigarettes.

How will I feel when I quit?
Awful at first. You may feel irritable and cranky. You may also get angry or upset faster, have trouble concentrating or feel hungrier than usual. You may have headaches and cough more at first (while your lungs are clearing out). All of these can be symptoms of withdrawal from nicotine. Keep in mind that the worst symptoms will be over in a few days. However, you may still have cravings for tobacco. Those cravings have less to do with nicotine addiction and more to do with the habit of smoking.

What About Nicotine Gum or Patches?
These products may help you if you feel like you can’t quit on your own or you have serious withdrawal symptoms. Don’t use the gum or patch without talking to your health care provider first. These products were not designed for teenagers and could make you sick if you use them the wrong way. You may need to follow special instructions, especially if you have any medical conditon.
If you’re an adult and you want to try nicotine patch products, remember you’re still getting your nicotine through your skin and the addiction continues. There are more "natural" approaches to quitting that work. Here is a product that is a natural system to help you stop quitting. I don't smoke, but as a registered nurse, I would recommend this kind of product before resorting to getting your nicotine through a patch or gum.

Smoking and Pregnancy--Does cigarette smoke get through to the unborn baby?
Answer: Yes, when the mother smokes, so does the baby. Smokers take in poisons such as nicotine and carbon monoxide, the same gas that comes out of a car's exhaust pipe. These poisons get into the placenta, the tissue that connects the mother and the baby before it is born. These poisons keep the unborn baby from getting the food and oxygen needed to grow.

What if I Can’t Quit?
You can quit. Most people try to quit more than once before they succeed, so don’t give up, Just don’t go out and buy a whole pack of cigarettes if you think you failed. Take some time to think about what happened to cause you to slip. Figure out how you’ll handle that situation differently next time. Then try again. You can do it!