Each November on the third Thursday of the month, the American Cancer Society (ACS) sponsors the Great American Smokeout® to encourage smokers to quit for one day in hopes they may quit forever.

Many Health Reasons to Quit

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. The adverse health effects of smoking are extensive:

• Smoking increases your risk for cancer of the lung, lip, mouth, pharynx, esophagus, pancreas, larynx (voice box), uterine cervix, bladder, and kidney.

• Smoking increases your risk for heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, and chronic obstructive lung diseases, such as emphysema.
  
• A woman who smokes during pregnancy puts her child at risk for premature delivery, still birth, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
  
• Postmenopausal women who smoke have a lower bone density than women who never smoked increasing their risk for hip fractures.

Tips to Help You Quit

The American Cancer Society provides these tips to quit smoking:

• Write down your reasons for wanting to quit and keep the list with you for extra motivation.
• Set a quit date and plan ahead to help deal with cravings.
• Get self-help materials to guide yourself through the quitting process.
• Find out about support programs near you.
• Talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about which quit-smoking medicines are right for you.
• Tell your family, friends, and coworkers about your plans to quit.
• Use quitlines.
• Have alternatives to smoking available, such as peppermints, carrot sticks, or cinnamon sticks.
• Stay busy.
• Avoid situations that always trigger an urge to smoke.

Staying Quit

The nicotine in cigarettes is highly addictive, so quitting smoking is not easy.

If you start smoking again, try not to get too discouraged. Few people are able to quit for good on their first attempt. Like many others, it may take you several attempts before you can quit for good.

ACS suggests that when setting your next date to quit, figure out what helped you in your previous attempt and what worked against you. Use this information to make a stronger attempt at quitting the next time.

For More Information

Visit the American Cancer Society (ACS) website at www.cancer.org. Under “Health Information Seekers,” select “quitting smoking.” Or, call ACS at 1-800-ACS-2345 for the number of the telephone “quitline” or other support resources in your area.

Source:  Wellness News You Can Use, National Wellness Institute, October 2005.