It is not easy to quit smoking cigarettes. Why? Nicotine is a physically addictive substance. After an initial rejection by the body, a tolerance level develops in the smoker, and withdrawal symptoms occur when nicotine is withheld. Cigarettes also produce a psychological dependence. The desire to smoke is "triggered" by certain situations, emotions, and a need to inhale and exhale on something.
Smoking Facts
Cigarette smoking is our
nation's number 1 preventable cause of illness and premature death. Over 420,000 people in
the U.S. die from the effects of smoking each year.
After inhaling, 70-90% of the chemical
compounds in a cigarette stay in the smoker's lungs.
Cigarette smokers are 15 times more likely
to get lung cancer, 16 times more likely to have emphysema, 10 times more likely to have
bronchitis, and twice as likely to have a heart attack than nonsmokers.
Nonsmokers who inhale secondhand smoke from
a burning cigarette have an increased risk of lung cancer and heart disease as well.
Children of smokers have twice the
incidence of respiratory ailments as the children of nonsmokers.
According to the American Cancer Society, 8
out of 10 smokers would like to quit.
The "Warm Pheasant" Plan to Quit
Smoking
You've heard of quitting cigarettes cold turkey, all at once. Well, that
works for some, but not all, smokers. In fact, there are as many ways to quit smoking as
there are brands of cigarettes for sale. If you're like Mark Twain, who said,
"Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it over a hundred times," you might want to
try the "warm pheasant" method. Unlike the cold turkey approach, this
three-phase plan allows you to continue to smoke while you prepare to quit,
psychologically and physically.
Phase I: Preparing to Quit
This phase takes approximately 1 week.
Mark a "quit" date on
your calendar 1 week in advance.
Keep track of each cigarette you smoke by
making a slash mark on a piece of paper tucked in the wrapper of your cigarette pack.
Every time you have an urge to light up,
wait 10 minutes.
Collect your cigarette butts in a
"butt bottle." (The mere sight of so many spent cigarettes will graphically
demonstrate just how much you really smoke in a week.)
Phase II: Quitting
This phase takes approximately 1-2 weeks.
Throw away all your cigarettes and
hide all smoking paraphernalia, like matches, lighters, ashtrays, and so forth.
Whenever you have an urge to smoke, take a
deep breath through your mouth and slowly exhale through pursed lips. Repeat 5-10 times.
Change your routine to eliminate familiar
smoking cues. If you always light up when driving to work, take a different route. Or
substitute a walk for your usual coffee-and-cigarette break. Or sit in a chair you don't
customarily use when relaxing or watching television at home.
Take up activities you don't normally
associate with smoking. Enroll in a cooking class, visit a nonsmoking friend, or go
swimming at your local Y, for example.
Keep your hands busy by holding something,
such as a pen, Nerf Ball, or binder clip.
In place of cigarettes, substitute other
things that will provide oral gratification, like sugarless gum or mints, toothpicks, or
coffee stirrers.
Avoid drinking coffee and alcohol or eating
foods high in sugar, like candy and pastries. They cause biochemical changes in the body
that increase your desire for a cigarette.
Create a "piggy bank" and put the
money you used to spend on cigarettes in a jar. Watch it add up.
Place a rubber band on your wrist and snap
it every time you get an urge to smoke.
Phase III: Staying off Cigarettes
Allow 3 months for this final phase.
Always remember that the craving
to smoke will pass, whether you smoke or not.
Renew your commitment to stay off
cigarettes each day.
Beware of saboteurs, usually other smokers,
who may try to encourage you to light up. Assert your right to not smoke.
Talk to a nonsmoking buddy for support.
Make a list of good things you've noticed
since you quit, e.g., food tastes better, you cough less, your clothes don't smell bad,
and so forth.
Continue to practice the behavior
modification techniques listed in the quitting phase.
SOURCE: The Smokeless Program, American Institute for Preventive Medicine, Farmington Hills, Michigan, 1994.
HEALTH AT HOME - Your Complete Guide to Symptoms, Solutions, and Self-Care © 1999 by Don R. Powell. American Institute for Preventive Medicine.
Date updated 02/01/99