The Great American Smokeout

By Diane M. Yoakam, R.N., M.S.N., C.E.N., HealthAtoZ contributing writer

If you are using tobacco products, why not join the millions of smokers who participate in the American Cancer Society's annual Great American Smokeout by agreeing to stop smoking for a 24-hour period? This very well could be the single event that transforms you into a "former smoker" and leads the way to a healthier lifestyle.

Don't wait until it is too late to quit. Learn the facts about smoking.

1. Your chances of getting lung cancer are 10 times greater than a nonsmoker.

2. You are twice as likely to have a heart attack.

3. Cigarette smoking is strongly linked with emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

4. Cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 chemicals. Many are poisonous and more than 40 of them are linked to cancer.

5. Pregnant women who smoke increase their risk of having a stillborn or an infant with a low birth weight.

6. Cigarette smoke is harmful to everyone who inhales it, including those who do not smoke themselves.

7. Children of smokers are twice as likely to pick up the habit when they grow older.

Get ready to quit. Find out if you have what it takes to stop smoking.

1. Do you want to stop smoking?

2. Are you willing to make some changes in your daily routine?

3. Are you prepared to deal with some challenging moments once you make the commitment to quit?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, you are ready to stop smoking now.

Develop a plan. Take control of your addiction today.

• Set a date for quitting. Take one day at a time, and set short-term goals.
• Tell your family and friends about your plans. You will need their encouragement when you feel the urge to light up.
• To avoid temptation, get rid of all cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays.
• Talk to your health care provider about using nicotine replacement therapy as an alternative to quitting "cold turkey."
• When you first try to quit, change your routine. If you usually light up during your breakfast coffee, then eat breakfast in a different place or drink tea instead of coffee.
• When you quit and still get the urge to smoke, talk with someone, go for a walk, drink water or get busy with a task. Reduce your stress by taking a hot bath, exercising or reading a book.

Keep smoking a thing of the past. Focus on the positives.

1. The nicotine in cigarettes is addictive. Your body eventually will adjust to the absence of nicotine, but as it does, you may experience some bodily changes:

• Initially, without nicotine, you may feel nervous or irritable.

• Because nicotine is a stimulant, you may feel tired when you first stop smoking.

• People often mistake their urge for a cigarette for hunger. But don't eat to get rid of your urge to smoke.

• Coughing is a way that your body gets rid of the extra mucus that has been clogging your lungs. The cough may seem worse in the beginning, but it will subside as time goes by.

2. Start a savings jar to collect money that you would have spent on tobacco. Reward yourself with a gift to celebrate your first month of smoke-free living.

3. Schedule a dental appointment. Get your teeth and mouth feeling clean and fresh.

4. Recognize that you are not perfect. If you have a slip-up and light up, don't let yourself become a smoker again. Remember all of the reasons why you have quit. Don't start again. Call a friend, or better yet, call someone who has been successful at quitting.

Related Articles What's in Your Cigarette? The Best Ways to Kick the Habit Teenage Smoking Causes Permanent Lung Damage The Facts About Women and Smoking How Women Can Stop Smoking Smoking - Not So Sexy The Dangers of Secondhand Smoking

External Sources National Cancer Institute American Cancer Society

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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