Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States.
Smoking increases the risk for heart attack, stroke, lung disease, and cancer.
Today about one in five American adults, more than 43.6 million people, smoke cigarettes. Nearly 15 million additional Americans smoke tobacco in pipes or cigars.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. Quitting smoking is the single most important step that you can take to protect your health and the health of your loved ones.
The Great American Smokeout is an event that challenges current tobacco users to stop using tobacco – even for just one day. The event is sponsored by the American Cancer Society yearly on the third Thursday in November: one week from today.
Great American Smokeout events began in the 1970s and have helped dramatically change Americans’ attitudes about smoking, the understanding of nicotine addiction, and how to help people quit.
Quitting can be hard, so the event encourages smokers not only to quit but to create a plan to quit. Here are five key steps to take to develop a successful quit plan:
1. Set a quit date. Pick a date like the Great American Smokeout and stick to it.
2. Tell your family and friends that you plan to quit. Share your quit date with the important people in your life and ask for support. You are more likely to achieve your goal to quit with support than without it.
3. Anticipate and plan for challenges. Prior to your quit date, pay attention to what triggers the urge to smoke during your day. Awareness of your triggers will help you defeat them. The urge to smoke is short, usually lasting only last three to five minutes. Planning healthier alternatives (such as taking a walk, chewing gum, or drinking water) prior to your quit date will help you cope with your cravings.
4. Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car, and workplace. Old cigarette odors can cause cravings, so give these areas a good cleaning.
5. Utilize tobacco cessation resources and discuss quit options. Discussing quit options with your physician is a great place to begin, as your physician can discuss prescription treatment options including medicine to lessen cravings and nicotine replacement options appropriate to your individual scenario.
There are many resources available to assist with your plan to quit. Telephone smoking-cessation hotlines, such as the Pennsylvania Department of Health Free Quitline, are a free and easily accessible service available to tobacco users. Each participant receives up to five coaching sessions designed to support the quit attempt, unlimited calls to the Quitline as needed, and self-referrals can be made by calling 1.800.QUIT.NOW or 1.855.DEJELO.YA.
Other resources include stop-smoking groups (such as Nicotine Anonymous), online quit groups (such as Smokefree.gov), counseling, guide books (such as those available by the American Lung Association or the American Cancer Society), and encouragement and support from friends and family members. Research has shown that utilizing two or more resources when trying to quit smoking works better than using just one alone.
The journey to becoming tobacco free may not be easy but quitting is good for your health at any age. Please consider joining the millions of Americans who quit using tobacco products annually during the Great American Smokeout celebrated in 2015 on Thursday, Nov. 19.
