Guide to Quit Smoking Cigarettes for Good

Smokers of cigarettes have various stories of how they got "hooked" with motives ranging from peer pressure, to dealing with stress, to weight control. Some smokers were born into families of smokers; nevertheless, the tendency to smoke was environmental rather than natural. With all of the public warnings about the health hazards of smoking cigarettes (higher risk for cancer, stroke, and heart disease) many smokers are aware of the importance of quitting smoking but don't. In these cases, the missing key is a steadfast will to quit according to an interview with an ex-smoker who quit smoking cigarettes after 30 years. This guide stresses the process of gaining control over cigarettes and tips on how to quit smoking for good.

Motives to Quit Smoking

Cigarette smokers are faced with numerous motives to quit. Common examples include: 1) the guilt of destroying the health of oneself and family; 2) the guilt of being poor role models for children; 3) being driven away from the inside of one's house or public places where smoking is not allowed (having to sit in special sections of restaurants); and 4) having stained teeth and a foul breath. With all of these drawbacks, why do smokers continue to smoke? Despite efforts to quit, smokers are often met with obstacles including intense cigarette cravings, nausea, wheezing, insomnia, fatigue, irritability, confusion, and depression. Fortunately, no matter how hard it seems, quitting is possible as over 40 million people have quit as reported in the book Step Up to Wellness.

Methods to Quit Smoking

In an interview, the ex-smoker claims, "It doesn't just work for others to tell you to stop. You have to make up your mind - have self-determination and will power." Smokers are more successful when they quit on their own with the support of family and friends than when they seek treatment intervention. In fact, a survey reveals that of the 60-80% of participants in a treatment program, 75% returned to smoking within a year. The problem with the program was the assumption that everyone was ready to quit rather than tailoring to smokers by means of stages as noted in the book Step Up to Wellness.

Various forms of assistance are available to help smokers to quit. One type is called replacement therapy wherein the goal is to first eliminate the habit of smoking and then gradually reduce nicotine to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Specific forms of this therapy are the nicotine patch where the skin absorbs nicotine equal to a ¾ pack of cigarettes and nicotine gum with the amount of nicotine in one cigarette. Other forms of assistance include support groups, behavior medication therapy, hypnotherapy, and acupuncture.

Smokers have the choice of quitting gradually or all at once. Quitting gradually may include changing to a brand with lower tar or smoking a portion of a cigarette (the first third of the cigarette is less dangerous that the last third since it is filtered by the tobacco in the front.) The ex-smoker interviewed chose to quit all at once, which is effective for cigarette or tobacco-lovers who find it too tempting to decrease smoking gradually.

Tips to Quit Smoking

The National Institutes of Health recommends the following tips to quit smoking:

* On a smoker's quitting day, he or she should discard all cigarettes, create a list of things to buy oneself and others with money that the smoker would normally spend on cigarettes, have one's teeth cleaned at the dentist, and stay busy by taking a walk or going to the movies.

* Afterward, this organization suggests that ex-smokers go places where smoking isn't permitted such as the library, museum, or church. If ex-smokers miss having something in their mouths, they should chew on a tooth pick or candy cane.

* Ex-smokers can avoid temptation by substituting smoking after meals with brushing their teeth, staying away from situations that one associates with smoking such as sitting in one's favorite chair, socializing with non-smokers, and analyzing the marketing tactics of cigarette ads.

* In the long-run, when cigarette cravings are intense, ex-smokers can take the steps of relaxing by visualizing something peaceful, taking deep breaths, lighting an incense or candle, taking a shower or bath, and substituting cigarettes with healthy snacks.

Of most significance, quitting smoking is followed by huge benefits as nicotine completely leaves the body after two to three days of no smoking. These perks include better tasting and smelling food, easier breathing, and a savings of around $900/year for brand name cigarettes as reported on the book Step Up to Wellness. Especially valuable, ex-smokers gain the health benefits of reduced risk of cancer, stroke, and heart attacks along with increased longevity according to the U.S. Surgeon General's Report.

Sources

Bishop, J.G., & Aldana, S.G. (1999). Step Up to Wellness: A Stage Based Approach. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.