Spirit of Women magazine is a national publication presented to women by hospitals and their physicians. The magazine provides up-to-date, evidence-based healthcare information and promotes our hospitals as leaders in women's health excellence.
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3 w w w. s p i r i t o f w o m e n . c o m | S U M M E R 2 0 1 7 | S P I R I T O F W O M E N The good news? "Every smoker can quit," says Bill Blatt, director of Tobacco Programs for the American Lung Association in Washington, D.C. "It doesn't matter how old you are or how many times you've tried. Just keep trying until you've quit." In fact, the number of adult smokers in the United States is at an all-time low—just 15.1 percent—and there are now more ex-smokers than current smokers. To count yourself among them and get yourself on the road to better health, here are three proven stop- smoking strategies. 1. Mark your calendar. How will you try to quit smoking? Lots of smokers just stop (cold turkey), but only 5 percent of them remain nonsmokers. To increase your odds of success, "plan how you're going to quit," says Dr. Steven Schroeder, director of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at the University of California, San Francisco. Set a quit day—a definitive date on your calendar that will mark your first day as a nonsmoker. Beforehand, get rid of the ashtrays, matches and lighters in your house and your car. In addition, warn your friends and coworkers because you might be a little grouchy. "They should be tolerant as you withdraw from the nicotine that you're used to," says Dr. Schroeder. Because part of the addiction aspect of smoking is social, consider avoiding outings with friends who smoke for the first few weeks too. 2. Curb nicotine cravings. Coinciding with your quit date, talk to your doctor about smoking cessation aids that fall under the category of nicotine replacement, such as nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, nasal sprays and inhalers. "Many people combine the gum with the patch," says Dr. Schroeder. The patch provides a steady drip of nicotine into your bloodstream, and the gum can help you power through strong cravings. Two oral drugs available by prescription, bupropion (Zyban or Wellbutrin) and varenicline (Chantix), act on the brain to reduce cravings for nicotine. Using one or more of these seven Food and Drug Administration- approved therapies can help you overcome the physical aspect of nicotine addiction, which boosts your chances of quitting by 20 percent. These therapies may also be covered under the terms of your health insurance plan. 3. Get support. You'll increase your chances of kicking the habit if you get professional help in one of these ways: • Call the national tobacco quit line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). • Join an online stop-smoking program. • Participate in the American Lung Association's Freedom from Smoking in-person program (Freedomfromsmoking.org), which runs for eight weeks with a trained facilitator. You'll share your experiences in a group setting and get help building your quit plan and learning how to avoid relapsing. Not sure which route to take? Keep in mind that people who try to quit face to face tend to be more successful. "There's a relationship between the intensity of the intervention and the quit rate," says Blatt. In fact, you'll maximize your success rate by combining a face-to-face program with a smoking cessation aid, such as a prescription drug or a nicotine replacement product. No matter which strategies you try, "the biggest thing to keep in mind is that the desire to smoke lasts just three to five minutes," says Blatt. After that, it will go away even without a cigarette. "If you're feeling a strong craving, distract yourself in some way for three to five minutes to get past the urge." Cardiac damage report If you're among the nearly 37 million smokers in this country, take note for your ticker. With each puff on a cigarette, carbon monoxide replaces the oxygen in your blood, robbing your heart and your entire body of this vital nutrient. That's why you can feel winded after even a little exertion, such as carrying a bag of groceries. Meanwhile, the nicotine each puff delivers makes your heart beat faster. Your blood vessels constrict, and your blood pressure shoots up. Over time, your blood vessels can narrow and your blood can thicken, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke two to four times. With more women now dying from lung cancer than from breast cancer, it's no surprise that smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death and disability. Smokers who successfully quit by: Source: American Lung Association 5% going cold turkey attending in-person smoking cessation classes and using a smoking cessation aid for eight weeks using a self-help program, such as reading a book about stopping smoking following a telephone or online smoking cessation program 10% 50% 20-30%