Be a Quitter
by Rachel Lukasavige
The Great American Smokeout is just two days away and
if you've decided to quit smoking we want to congratulate
you! There are steps you can take to ensure your success
with giving up smoking this year.
- Designate your quit day - mark it on your calendar
and tell others about it so they can support you.
- Plan your entire day - know when you're going to
get up, who you're going to hang out with, and what
you're going to eat. Change your routine from the everyday.
Take a different route to work, eat in a different place,
drink tea instead of coffee.
- Plan ahead for when you think the urge to smoke might
come and decide how you're going to handle it.
- Keep active and drink lots of water and juices.
- Buy yourself a treat - do something special to celebrate
your success.
- Take one day at a time and remind yourself of why
quitting is important to you.
- Enlist the help of a professional. Visit the American
Cancer Society to have someone personally contact you.
And remember to take things one day at a time. Every
day that you remain smoke free is a step closer to a healthier
life.
20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and
blood pressure drops.
12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level
in your blood drops to normal.
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation
improves and your lung function increases.
1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness
of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that
move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in
the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean
the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary
heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced
to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting.
10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death
rate is about half that of a continuing smoker's. The
risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder,
cervix, and pancreas decrease.
15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart
disease is that of a nonsmoker's.
*From The American Cancer Society
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