You hear it from your loved ones, you hear it on the news and you see the signs everywhere - smoking is bad. And by bad we mean losing your sense of smell, your sense of taste, developing increased likelihood of health issues, and the one everyone fears - the Big C.
However, you know this and yet you still continue to smoke. Being a smoker is not something to take lightly, quitting is NOT easy. This is why there is an ENTIRE week every year, and so many resources dedicated to the reduction of smokers in Canada including Ontario’s Smoking Cessation Action Plan, Canadian Cancer Society, and Canadian Health Care System.
Most smokers out there WANT to quit but nicotine is very addictive that makes quitting the habit very hard. The best way to help quit smoking is to educate yourself. You know the consequences of smoking, but a smoker must also make themselves aware of why and when they smoke, as well as tips for helping them stay committed to quitting.
THE FACTS:
- After 20 minutes: Your blood pressure drops to a level similar to what it was before your last cigarette
- After 8 hours: The level of carbon monoxide (toxic gas) in your blood drops to normal. There is likely more oxygen in your system and your blood pressure is probably going down
- After 1 day: Your risk of having a heart attack starts to drop
- After 2 weeks: The airways in your lungs relax and you can get more air into your lungs and breathe easier
- After 1 month: You should be coughing less and your lungs should be working even better
- After 1 year: Your risk of coronary heart disease is about half that of an average smoker
- After 5 years: You have the same chance of having a stroke as a non-smoker
- After 10 years: Your chance of dying from lung cancer is much lower. So is your chance of getting cancer in your mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas
- After 15 years: Your risk of coronary heart disease is similar to that of a non-smoker
*Information from www.BreakItOff.ca
The EXCUSES (and tips)
Stress:It’s a common belief that smoking relieves stress. Not true. Smoking actually makes your heart beat faster, your breathing quicker and raises your blood pressure. This is one of those nasty lies smoking likes to tell you. The sense of ease you feel when you smoke when stressed is caused because that cigarette is temporarily stopping a nicotine craving. |
Tips: Next time you feel stressed and want a smoke, take a few deep breaths. Count to 10. Or 100. Listen to relaxing music. Just don’t fall for the smoking trap. It’s not worth it. |
Boredom: Smoking would have you believe it can relieve boredom. Not even close to true. Here’s what’s really going on: when you’re addicted to smoking and don’t have a cigarette, something always seems missing. The funny thing is, you just don’t notice it as much when your mind is occupied. |
Tips:The best way to get over boredom is to get on your feet and get moving. You’re not a slave to smoking anymore, so find a healthy new hobby that’ll keep your body and your mind occupied. |
Drinking & Drugs: Let’s face it – getting together with an old flame can seem like a good idea when under the influence of other substances. Somehow your mind seems to skip over all the bad times and think only of the good ones. Don’t fall for this. Smoking would have you believe that a little rendez-vous will make whatever time you’re having better. It won’t – it’ll only make it worse. The withdrawal symptoms will get stronger and your defenses will get weaker. Before long, the only thing on your mind will be those cigarettes you worked so hard to dump. |
Tips:Nobody’s here to judge. It’ll go a long way if you avoided being under the influence of substances. It’ll help you break the association between those activities and smoking. |
After a Meal: Ahh, the old after-a-meal cigarette. Somehow, you managed to believe that cozying up with a smoke after a meal made things taste better. Here’s a little secret – smoking doesn’t make food taste better. It ruins your taste buds, making food taste worse. The real reason you crave smoking after a meal is because eating satisfies hunger, but it doesn’t satisfy your nicotine craving. So once you’re full, your nicotine craving is the only thing left to satisfy. Why else would you continuously follow-up a perfectly good meal with a cigarette? |
Tips:Next time you’re eating, eat slower. Think about the taste of the food. Enjoy the actual moment instead of jumping ahead to what’s going to happen after the meal. And drink lots of water. You can also try brushing your teeth after your meal – it will help change the taste in your mouth. |
Breaks at Work: It’s ok to take your work break without smoking. |
Tips:Take a short walk. Drink some water. When you feel refreshed, go back to work. You’ll feel better and you’ll probably be a lot more productive too. You’ll also smell better to others around you. |
Those Habitual Smokes: Whether it’s first thing in the morning, with your coffee, while driving, or getting off the bus – we all have those times and places that we associated with smoking. Approach each of these situations with a new perspective – instead of wishing you could smoke, celebrate the fact that you don’t have to. You’re free from smoking, so enjoy that freedom! |
Tips:For the first little while, it might help to change up your routine a bit. Take a new route to and from work. Wake up at a different time. Do whatever you have to do to distract yourself. And remember, cravings pass – they always do. |