The most important thing you should know about quitting smoking is that the harmful effects of the habit begin to reverse almost as soon as you stop. Within 20 minutes of your last cigarette, your heart rate and blood pressure drop to normal. After 8 hours of being smoke-free, your blood levels of carbon monoxideand oxygen return to normal. Your risk of having a heart attack decreases after only 24 hours, and in 2 weeks your circulation will improve and your lung function will increase up to 30 percent. These beneficial effects continue until, after 10 years of not smoking, your chances of dying of lung cancer become about
the same as for a nonsmoker. There is no underestimating the difficulty of breaking the smoking habit
because of the highly addictive properties of nicotine. You need to build a strong support system within your family and circle of friends and coworkers. You may find that some of the people you know who still smoke may feel uncomfortable or threatened by your efforts to quit. It may be best for you to stay away from
them until you feel certain that you can avoid the temptation to smoke. Pick a nonsmoker or another person who is trying to quit as a “buddy” whom you can call when the going gets rough. Meet with your buddy once a week, communicate through e-mail, or talk regularly on the phone. Make a bet with him or her
that you can go for 1 month, then 6 months without a cigarette, then celebrate when you have reached your goal. Experts say that you should prepare yourself to quit in advance of smoking your last cigarette. Identify several strategies, such as relaxation exercises, that can help you cope with your cravings for tobacco. First try to establish one or two other new habits, such as regular exercise, so you will be giving up tobacco
in the context of a complete lifestyle change. Exercise is important; it is the highest predictor of success when quitting tobacco use. When you are ready to quit, take the following steps to ensure success:
Step 1 Take a look at your smoking habits. Make a chart and mark down on it every cigarette you smoke in 24 hours, including the first cigarette you smoke in the morning, the one you automatically light up with a cup of coffee or a drink, and the ones you smoke while on break. Keep monitoring your cigarette use for
3 weeks.
Step 2 Write down all of the reasons why you want to stop smoking—for example, to get rid of your smoker’s cough and to stop exposing your family to secondhand smoke.
Step 3 Set a date by which you intend to quit smoking. Announce the date to all of the people you know and ask them to help you in your effort so they can support you if you lose your resolve.
Step 4 Ask your doctor about using nicotine gum, a nicotine patch, a prescription nicotine inhaler, or prescription medication to help you quit smoking. Try sucking on hard candy or chewing gum, munching on raw vegetables, or exercising more. Stay away from places and situations, such as having drinks with friends in a bar, that you associate with smoking. Sit in the nonsmoking section of restaurants. You may want to join a stop-smoking group; ask your doctor to recommend one.
Step 5 When you quit smoking, you probably will feel like eating more often and may gain a few pounds. Don’t stop yourself from eating when you feel tense during the first few weeks; it will be hard enough to stay away from cigarettes. Stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, sugar-free candy and soda, and fat-free pretzels or crackers. Drink plenty of water. Your most intense cravings for nicotine will subside after about 8 weeks, when you can resume your usual eating pattern. When you quit smoking, you remove an important source of pleasure and a way to reduce stress from your daily routine. You need to replace the nicotine
with something else that gives you pleasure and deal with your stress in more positive ways. Maintaining your focus on negative reasons for quitting, such as worrying about your health, will not help you succeed. Forget
the “no pain, no gain” attitude. Instead, embrace your new, more healthy lifestyle positively, without guilt for your past smoking habit. Praise yourself liberally by telling yourself how much better your life is going to be from now on. And remember the following positive things about quitting each time you feel the urge to take a puff:
• Stopping smoking will free up time that you can now use to exercise, take up a hobby, or spend time with your family.
• You can use the money you used to spend on cigarettes to treat yourself or a loved one to something special.
• Your breath will smell better, your fingers will no longer be yellow, and your clothes and hair will no longer smell like smoke.
• Food will taste better because your sense of smell will improve, and the senses of smell and taste are closely linked.
• Your smoker’s cough will go away in a few months, a sign that your body is healing itself.
• Being a nonsmoker makes you more attractive.
• You will no longer have to stand awkwardly outside of your workplace in the rain and the cold to smoke on breaks or at lunchtime.
