Are You Still Smoking and Wish You Could Quit?

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the United States. Although the adult smoking rate has declined to about 17%, currently more than 40 million Americans smoke.” ~ SAMHSA

According to the Center for Disease Control, about 480,000 in the United States die from diseases associated with smoking, including deaths from secondhand smoke. (278,544 men and 201,773 women)

Smoking cigarettes is both a psychological habit and physical addiction.

I remember the first day I smoked a cigarette. I was with my friend Wendy. She was fun and a bit rebellious. Even though I heard the warnings about the dangers of smoking, I was still curious and ready to give it a try.

It was the perfect afternoon. Wendy’s parents were gone and she had a pack of cigarettes. We were ready to smoke. Therefore, we lit up and I inhaled my first puff. As a result, I was red in the face, felt lightheaded, and coughed continuously It went on and on and on.

I kept coughing. I also kept smoking.

This may be hard for you to believe, but as a result of all the coughing, that was the first and last time I ever smoked cigarettes. After feeling dizzy and choking my way through the experience, I just wasn’t motivated to try smoking again.

I’d like to say I didn’t try anything else, but I’m not that innocent. I drank my share of beer through high school, looking for excitement wherever I could find it.

Smoking cigarettes just wasn’t my thing.

Therefore, I often wonder why people plow through the unpleasantness of that first cigarette to form a habit that can potentially kill them.

Maybe smoking cigarettes is a way to relieve your stress, depression, loneliness, fear, and anxiety. It can temporarily make your bad day evaporate into thin air.  Cigarettes may give you comfort at the moment.

With all the medical advice and warnings, some of our teens are still smoking. Many don’t just try it once, like me. They go on to become habitual smokers.

It is especially relevant that cigarette companies don’t help. They market to our teens. They need new recruits.

“From the 1950s to the present, (2006) different defendants, at different times and using different methods, have intentionally marketed to young people under the age of twenty-one in order to recruit ‘replacement smokers’ to ensure the economic future of the tobacco industry.”

~U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler Final Opinion, United States v. Philip Morris

Health Risks

As most of us know, there is reason to be concerned about starting a tobacco habit:

Nearly 90 percent of smokers start smoking cigarettes by age 18, and of smokers under 18 years of age, sadly more than 6 million will die prematurely from a smoking-related disease.

• Cigarette smoking still kills about 440,000 U.S. citizens each year.
• Since 1964 about 12 million Americans have died prematurely from smoking.
• The Americans that smoke today will most likely die from a smoking-related illness.
• About one-third of all cancer deaths are related to smoking cigarettes.
• Non-smokers exposed to secondary smoke have an increased risk for many diseases including lung cancer and heart disease.

Good News

Also, there is good news regarding tobacco use:

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that there has been a 50 percent decline in the number of smokers since 1965. 

According to NIDA, smoking continues to drop. Daily cigarette smoking decreased to 1.3 percent among 8th graders, compared to 2.9 percent 5 years ago; to 3.0 percent among 10th graders, compared to 6.6 percent 5 years ago; and to 5.5 percent among high school seniors, down from 6.7 percent last year and 10.7 percent in 2010. 

Nicotine and Tobacco Cigarette smoking continues to drop and is currently at its lowest rate in the survey’s history.

In addition, there has been a continuing decline since peak cigarette use was reported by teens in the mid-1990’s.

Smoking is down among teens and young adults because of several reasons:  higher cigarette taxes, school health education programs that target cigarette use, higher cigarette taxes, school health education programs that target cigarette use, nonsmoking campaigns, and increased enforcement of laws banning the sale of tobacco products to minors.

Are You Ready to Quit?

Some smokers can quit without help. Others may need help to quit their cigarette habit.

When the painful and unpleasant feelings that may have prompted you to reach for a cigarette occur, instead of smoking, consider taking care of yourself in a better way. Exercise, meditation, relaxation techniques, and practicing simple breathing exercises can all be helpful.

Furthermore, it is important to spend some time understanding how you deal with stress because it is important to know what makes you want to reach for a cigarette.

Some Ways to Quit Smoking:

First of all, list the reasons why you want to quit and then keep copies of the list in the places where you’d normally keep your cigarettes, such as in your jacket, purse, or car.

Your reasons for quitting smoking might include:

• You will feel healthier, have more energy, whiter teeth, and fresher breath.
• The risk for cancer, heart attacks, strokes, early death, cataracts, and skin wrinkling will be lowered.
• Your clothes won’t have the awful smell of cigarette smoke.
• You will no longer be exposing your children and others to the dangers of your second-hand smoke.
• Money will be saved because you won’t be spending it on cigarettes.
• You won’t have to worry about needing your next cigarette.

Use START to Help You Quit.

S = Set a quit date.

T = Tell family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to quit.

A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges you’ll face while quitting.

R  = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car, and workplace.

T = Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.

TIPS to Help the Process

Drink plenty of juice and water.  Juice removes toxins from your body, the chemical that initiates cravings for smoking while strengthening the vital organs. (Caution with this plan if you are diabetic.) Drink eight glasses of water to stay hydrated and encourage the removal of toxins.

Replace your after-meal cravings. Ending a meal is the habitual time that many light up. Replace the cigarette with fruit, a healthy dessert, a square of chocolate, or a stick of gum.

Start a new habit while drinking alcohol. This is a common time when people light up, so if you do drink alcohol, try to drink where smoking is prohibited and try snacking on nuts or chips.

Get support. Let your friends and family know that you have decided to quit.  It is difficult to change any habit when you are in an environment where people are smoking. Take coffee breaks at work with a nonsmoker. Spend your free time with friends and family members who do not smoke.

Keep a journal. Write each day in your journal to note your daily progress. Notice when you crave a cigarette and what your triggers are. Write down how it made you feel to smoke. Support yourself in making this important habit change.

Monitor your weight. It is a common concern that you will put on weight when you stop smoking, but in reality, the gain is usually slight. Rather than mindless eating, begin an exercise program such as daily walking to help you keep the pounds off.

Parents of teen smokers.  By age 11 most smokers have tried their first cigarette. They can be addicted by the age of 14. Peer pressure is a factor when it comes to your teen quitting smoking.

Parents should avoid threats and ultimatums. Be patient and supportive. Set a good example by not smoking yourself. Practice ways to refuse a cigarette with your teen. Explain the health dangers of smoking and have a smoke-free policy in your home.

Early Recovery. Understandably, while your teen or adult son or daughter is in early recovery trying to recover from addiction, it may not be the best time to expect them to also quit smoking cigarettes. I know my daughter smoked for a time when she was in early recovery.

Cigarettes and coffee seem to be the mainstay of the young AA crowd. Once they have some quality time in recovery, and once they are back to being truly concerned about their health, the idea of taking the next step to quit their cigarette habit will hopefully take hold.

How do you feel about smoking? Has it been a problem for you or your child? Let us know in the comments.