Tips to Help you Quit Smoking

Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable deaths in the U.S. Fortunately, every year over 1 million Americans quit smoking --- would you like to be one of them this year?

There are immediate healthy changes that occur as soon as you stop smoking, so it is never "too late" to quit. Within the first 24 hours of quitting, blood pressure and heart rate return to normal, carbon monoxide in the blood is eliminated, and the lungs start to clear out mucus and other smoking debris.

To start, make a list of the reasons you want to quit smoking. Some of the many benefits include:

• To improve your breathing
• To improve how you look (wrinkles and discolored teeth and skin)
• To set a good example for your family
• To prevent heart disease and stroke
• To prevent cancer, especially lung cancer
• To have more energy
• To save money (over $1000 per year on average!)
• To not smell like smoke, and have a cleaner smelling home and car

Next, decide if you want to quit "cold turkey," or by using one of the medications now available. There are several choices. Nicotine products, such as nicotine patches and gum, help replace nicotine in a safer manner while you quit, and they help lessen withdrawal symptoms. Another choice is the antidepressant Zyban (Wellbutrin), which is available by prescription. It reduces withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke. Discuss these options with your Primary Care Provider. All of these medications are available from the VA Pharmacy.

Choose a quit date that gives you enough time to prepare, usually within 2 weeks. Meanwhile spend some time looking at your smoking habits, and identifying what "triggers" seem to cause you to smoke. For example, for some people coffee or alcohol are strong signals to smoke. Many smokers feel a need for a cigarette after a meal. Others smoke when they're bored or lonely. Still others smoke while on the phone or in their cars. Once you've recognized your "high-risk" smoking situations, make a short list of ways you can cope. Here are some examples: