Make Good on Your Resolution To Quit Smoking
By Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D.
January 8, 2013
For people
who smoke cigarettes, the New Year is a popular time to try to quit.
And it's no
wonder why.
Tobacco use
kills about 443,000 people in the United States each year or about 1 in 5
deaths annually. It is the Number One cause of preventable deaths, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Quitting
smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health and for the health
of your loved ones. Within just 12 hours of your last cigarette, the carbon
monoxide levels in your blood return to normal. Within 1 year of quitting, the
excess risk of heart disease is half that of a person who continues to smoke,
according to the U.S. Surgeon General.
Quitting
smoking helps protect the health of people around you, especially babies and
children. Secondhand smoke has more than 50 chemicals that are known to cause
cancer in adults. It can also cause lung disease and heart disease in people
who have never smoked. Parents who quit smoking provide a great role model to
their children and teens.
And contrary
to what some people say, smokeless tobacco isn't a safe option. It includes
chewing tobacco, dip, and snuff. It causes cancer of the esophagus, mouth, and
pancreas.
Like many
New Year's resolutions, deciding to change a behavior isn't as easy as actually
doing it. In fact, many smokers or tobacco users try to quit several times
before they succeed.
How can you
follow through on your plan to stop smoking for good in 2013?
A great
place to start is BeTobaccoFree.gov. The new, comprehensive Web site
gives one-stop access to the latest information from the Federal government on
tobacco-related information, including evidence-based methods on how to quit.
The Web site
includes interactive features, mobile apps, and tools and resources designed
specifically for parents, educators, and teens.
For example,
people who are getting ready to quit smoking now will find resources and tools to help them.
You can
START the process by—
- S = Setting a
quit date. Pick a
date within the next 2 weeks. That gives you enough time to get ready, but not
so much time that you lose your determination.
- T = Telling
others about your plan to quit. Quitting is easier to do with support from others. Tell
family, friends, and co-workers how they can help you.
- A = Anticipating
the challenges you will face. Most people who return to smoking do it within the first 3
months. Be prepared for situations when you will be tempted to smoke and plan
for how you will deal with them.
- R = Removing
cigarettes from your home, car, and work. Getting rid of things that remind you of smoking will help
you get ready to quit. Clean your car, get rid of lighters and ashtrays, and
have your teeth cleaned to get rid of smoking stains.
- T = Talking to
your doctor about getting help to quit. Some people need help to manage the withdrawal from
nicotine. Ask your health care provider if a medicine might help you. You can
buy some of these medicines on your own, like the nicotine patch or nicotine
gum. Others require a prescription.
Another section
of the Web site called SmokefreeTeen helps teenagers recognize the
pressures they face and how they typically handle them, including whether to
start or stop smoking. Using interactive quizzes, SmokefreeTeen looks at
important topics such as depression, stress, and relationships. Answers can
help teens understand their behavior style and the role that smoking, or trying
to quit, may plan in it. Another feature for teens is a mobile service called SmokefreeTXT. The
service sends text messages with advice and tips on how to stop smoking for
good.
Quitting
smoking is one of the best New Year's resolutions you can make to protect your
health. The BeTobaccoFree Web site can help you turn your wish into reality.
I'm Dr.
Carolyn Clancy, and that's my advice on how to navigate the health care system.
Resources
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention Fact Sheet:
Fast Fact—Smoking and Tobacco Use http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/
U.S. 2010
Surgeon General's Report—Smoking and Tobacco Use http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2010/index.htm
BeTobaccoFree.gov http://betobaccofree.hhs.gov/index.html
Quit Now:
BeTobaccoFree.gov http://betobaccofree.hhs.gov/quit-now/index.html
Smokeless
Tobacco and Your Health http://betobaccofree.hhs.gov/health-effects/smokeless-health/index.html
SmokefreeTeen http://teen.smokefree.gov/about.aspx
SmokefreeTeen: SmokefreeTXT http://teen.smokefree.gov/smokefreeTXT.aspx
Current as of January 2013
Internet Citation:
Make Good on Your Resolution To Quit Smoking. Navigating the Health Care System: Advice Columns from Dr. Carolyn Clancy, January 8, 2013. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/cc/cc010813.htm
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