Quitting is not easy - You may have already tried and found you started smoking again. That's natural. You have practiced being a smoker. You're good at it. Plus the nicotine is addicting. Now you have to practice to become a non-smoker.
What? Practice? Boring! Can anyone do tricks on a skateboard first time? No, eh. Same - Skateboarding and quitting smoking, practice and getting back on, even if you fall off. For some, quitting is one of the hardest things they will ever have to do.
Here are some hints from teens that have quit:
On the left we have...
How
Gradually reduces the number of cigarettes you smoke.
Plus
Works for some.Seems easy, I'll just cut down one or two cigarettes a week...
Minus
With cigarettes, matches and ashtrays around, you are always tempted to go back to your old ways during periods of difficulty or stress.
Tip
Hard to get below 5 or 6 cigarettes a day.
Each cigarette is such a reward, you can't smoke any less.
So...on to next step cold turkey.
On the right we have...
How
Pick a quit day. When it comes, stop smoking. No more, nothing, nada, rein, fini. Zero, gone.
Plus
Works for some.Simple, direct, no ongoing associations with tobacco.
Minus
On the other hand, cold turkey can be too difficult for some people.
Tip
Take it a day at a time."I won't put that first smoke in my mouth."
Countdown Tips
Alcohol - Be careful in the first months.
Coffee/Cola - Cut your consumption in half. Smoking changes your metabolism of caffeine.
Defer - Delay the time of each cigarette during the day. Will double chance of success.
Exercise - All exercise is good. Go for a good long walk soon after quitting. Joining an exercise class is powerful predictor of success.
Relapse - Most relapses happen early; many within three days, 75% by the first two weeks. Have key social supports in place before quit day.
Weight - Quitting is like adding 100 to 200 extra calories per day. Changes in metabolism, add in lots of oral need, plus being able to taste again, so keep healthy snacks available.
Withdrawal - The urge to smoke is intense and short - less than five minutes. Most urges occur in the first two weeks. Ride through the urge with a substitute activity and it goes away.
Good News - Your Body Wants to be Well.
The Benefits of Quitting
Within 20 Minutes of your last cigarette;
- Pulse drops to normal rate
- Skin temperature of hands and feet return to normal
- Blood pressure may drop to normal level
8 Hours - Carbon monoxide level in the blood falls as oxygen increases.
1-3 Days - Toxins are flushed from your body
1-3 Months - Cough is gone, breathing easier
Your body's overall energy level improves
1 Year - Risk of Heart Disease is lowered by 50%.
2 Years - Risk of Heart Attack drops.
5 Years - White goat snot in your arteries(cholesterol) due to cigarettes now gone. Risk of mouth, oesophagus and bladder cancer drops by half.
12 Years - Risk of Lung Cancer drops 70%, as precancerous cells are replaced.
15 Years - If nothing bad has happened yet, your life expectancy is now similar to non-smokers.
Teen Resources - Available free to those living in the District of Thunder Bay
1) " Stopping When You are Ready" - A stop smoking program for teens is a new package of cessation materials, that uses the stages of change theory. Unique to this approach is the customisation of the advice. Advice is given in booklets that match the stage that the smoker is in. If the person is not even thinking about giving up smoking, the first booklet in the series acknowledges this resistance with a title such as;"I Smoke, So What"
2) How To Make $1,000 By Doing Nothing. Something different for young women who smoke. This audio tape has a relaxation exercise and the booklet reviews the common myths that young women express about their smoking. Tape and booklet can be copied.
4) The First Mistake A three-part local video produced by the Health Unit and students from Fort William Collegiate that looks at smoking in Northwestern Ontario. The middle section, "Dr. Hack, the Science Flack" (similar in style to PBS's science series - Bill Nye, the Science Guy) is fast paced, and holds teen's attention.
5) Why Test - Twenty one questions that will help a teen (or any smoker) understand the type of smoker they are. Quitting strategies are suggested on the back.
6) Background - Three pamphlets from Guide Your Patients to a Smoke Free Future series, produced by the Canadian Centre for Tobacco Control in 1996, gives the theory behind quitting.
Stages of Change gives an overview of the stages of change model of behavioural motivation.
Women and Tobacco focuses on the unique reasons that lead many women to continue smoking. Specific strategies are suggested.
Adolescent Smoking and Quitting gives background and intervention tips for teen smokers.
These are just a sample of the resources that the Tobacco Action Resource Centre has to help teens quit smoking. A more extensive range of quit kits and booklets are also available for adults. Presentations on these resources and how to quit smoking are available to groups. worksites and organizations in the District of Thunder Bay.
hope it helped.. :)
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B.e.j.b.i.j T.i.g.e.r ^^
&nbs
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