Great American Smoke Out – Why Quit Now?

by Mary Kearl

Quitting smoking for good is hard work but the reason you should is easy: It’s time to quit now because you’re tired of your unhealthy “love affair with cigarettes,” says Michael Thun, MD, smoking-cessation expert for the American Cancer Society (ACS). It’s a deadly romance. Smoking causes lung cancer, as well as other cancers, and heart and lung disease. Lighting up is responsible for one in three cancer deaths and one in five of all deaths in the U.S., according to the ACS. In addition, 8.6 million Americans have serious illnesses caused by smoking, such as stroke and hardening of the arteries. Now that you understand why it’s so important to kick the nicotine habit, it’s time to figure out how. Fortunately, there is no one right way to quit smoking, says Dr. Thun. The key is to create an individualized plan of attack -- and then stick with it.

Quiz: What’s the best way for you to quit?

Stop Rationalizing

Nicotine’s addictive properties are as potent as cocaine or heroin, says Dr. Thun. Obviously, quitting smoking is an extremely difficult task. Start by examining the many, often unconscious, excuses you use to convince yourself to smoke:

• “It’s my only vice.”
• “We all die sometime. I might as well enjoy life.”
• “Uncle Harry is 99 and he’s been smoking forever and he’s fine.”
• “With all this pollution in the environment, smoking can’t be much worse.”
• “Today isn’t a good day. I’ll try to quit tomorrow.”
• “I don’t smoke that much.”
• “The damage is done. There’s no point in quitting now.”

Give Yourself a Deadline

Pick a day one to two weeks in the future to quit. Now tell your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and anyone else you know that you’re quitting. Going public with your goal is a surefire way to make yourself accountable to those who love you or are part of your daily life. Now’s the time to make your home smoke-free (toss out the ashtrays and lighters) and talk to your doctor or a cessation counselor, says Corinne Husten, MD, chief of Epidemiology at the Centers for Disease Control's Office on Smoking and Health. Ask about the FDA-approved medications, including Chantix that in some cases they have shown to double or triple quitting success rates, says Dr. Husten. Don’t be discouraged by past failed attempts at quitting. Relapse is common. Focus on small successes and build from there, instead

Educate Yourself

A smoker at age 14, Mary McClure tried quitting on her 30th birthday, but within a day she was back to her old pack-a-day. It was only when she decided to do some online research about the psychological aspects of smoking that she discovered she was suffering from an addiction, not just a lack of self control. “You can’t be stronger than addiction, but you can be smarter!” says McClure, 39, of Sarasota, FL. She adopted AA’s “one day at a time” philosophy, telling herself “no smoking just for today.” Soon hundreds of tomorrows were behind her.

Find a New Passion

“I discovered the beauty of 'can-do' encouragement flowing from my online support group,” says John Polito, 53, of Charleston, SC, who quit in 1999 after smoking for 30 years. He replaced his 30-year obsession with cigarettes with a new one -- helping people from his group with pressing questions such as “What does nicotine do to my body?” When a question came up that no one could answer, he scoured PubMed.gov journals for hours. Soon, his inbox filled up with grateful responses and he became “addicted to helping others.” He went on to co-found WhyQuit, an online support and educational resource for those who want to go “cold turkey.”

Track Your Successes (and Save)

“I'd recommend a quit meter to anyone trying to quit to,” says Evanne Lorraine, 50, of Seattle, WA. She began smoking at age 18 and finally stopped at 43. Quit meters are free, downloadable calculators (that keep track of when your last smoke was (down to the minute), how long you’re extending your life and how much money you’re saving. “It's very encouraging, especially in the beginning, to see your life extended, money saved and to mark the milestones of personal freedom,” says Lorraine. One former smoker Tim Luker, 43, says he’s saved $6,300 -- that’s 39,389 cigarettes -- after he quit six years ago.

Think of Your Loved Ones

“The most powerful motivator is to picture someone who really loves you who wants you to quit, especially a child,” says Dr. Thun. It helped Green Bay’s Tim Luker, who started at age 15, quit cold turkey after smoking for 22 years After reading too many stories about smokers who died and left kids behind, Luker realized it was time to put his family before his habit. It was imagining himself gone before seeing his children, then 9, 10, and 12, mature, coupled with the thought of them growing up fatherless, that enabled him never to light up again.

Pick a Quit-Plan That Fits

For a support system, try using quit help lines (1-800-QUIT) or online groups. Behavioral approaches like avoiding smoking triggers, such as smoking while drinking or after dinner, or hypnosis are also popular methods. Nicotine replacement therapies such as patches, pills and lozenges work for those more comfortable easing off rather than going cold turkey. Antidepressants curb the discomforts of withdrawal without the use of nicotine. Note, however, that there are costs and medical side effects with both of these options. Dr. Husten emphasizes that even if one method failed in the past, don’t give up on it. It might work this time in combination with other strategies.

Don't Give In

Any of these activities you used to associate with smoking – drinking, sex, long car rides, eating, or hanging out with a certain set of friends – can trigger cravings. Avoid temptation situations, advises Dr. Thun. Six seconds after that first puff, nicotine is back in your system. Making it past the first 72 hours of nicotine withdrawal is the key to quitting successfully. Former-smoker Tim Luker has adopted the motto “never take another puff,” because what follows is “another pack or two a day for the rest of your life until you decide to do the 72 hours again.”

Curb Your Urges

The thought of quitting may drive you to your blanket and couch, but consider this. “Physical activity is very helpful” at curbing smoking urges, says Dr. Thun. Exercise releases endorphins, lowers tension and focuses your attention on something other than cigarettes. Dr. Husten also recommends diaphragmatic breathing, or deep breathing, as another tension-release. Both experts suggest subbing cigarettes for drinking water, chewing gum or sucking on hard candies to keep your mouth busy. One thing that doesn’t work is trying to smoke “less.” Delaying true quitting will increase your risk of permanent smoke-related health problems.