Thank you for learning more about quitting tobacco. This is one of the best actions you can take to improve your health.
WellNS is here for you if you want to quit or if you just want to check out some of the information and resources. We’ll be here for you when you want some help. Most smokers make several attempts before they ‘kick’ the habit.
We have resources that range from information and helpful tips to a personal health coach who is trained in counseling tobacco users to quit.
WellNS is here when you want to quit tobacco use.
Quit Tobacco
Who Says Quitters Never Win?
We all know smoking kills. Here are some great reasons to quit.
- You will live longer and live better
- It will lower your chance of having a heart attack, stroke, or cancer
- If you are pregnant, not using tobacco products will improve your chances of having a healthy baby
- The people you live with, especially your children, will be healthier
- You will have extra money to spend on things other than cigarettes
Before you quit
- Understand the reasons why you use tobacco
- Choose to be healthy
More than 430,000 people die each year from tobacco-related diseases. And, when it doesn’t kill, tobacco use can cause devastating illness.
The fact that so many people know the realities of tobacco use yet continue to do it is a testament to how difficult it is to quit.
Don’t Let Your Money go Up in Smoke
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for every pack of cigarettes you smoke you rack up another $43.45 of future medical costs. If you smoke a pack a day, that’s more than $1,200 a year. Add that to the cost of cigarettes themselves, and you’ve got enough to buy a flat-screen plasma TV or an all-inclusive tropical vacation.
Questions to Ask Your Health Care Provider
- How can you help me to be successful at quitting?
- What medication do you think would be best for me?
- What should I do if I need more help?
- What is tobacco withdrawal like?
- How can I get information on withdrawal?
Are any of these reasons why you use tobacco?
- Relieve stress- especially when you feel angry or upset.
- Control your weight. Are you afraid you’ll gain weight if you quit?
- Boost your energy when you are feeling sluggish.
- Be part of a group – join your friends in having a cigarette.
Choose these actions instead of tobacco
- Relieve stress with exercise.
- Control your weight with exercise and healthy foods.
- Boost your energy with exercise and healthy foods.
- Join a club or a team; find a hobby that gives you a healthy social outlet.
5 Keys to Quitting
Get ready: Set a quit date and stick to it. People who do not smoke at all on their quit dates are 10 times more likely not to be smoking in 6 months. Get rid of all tobacco products in your home, car or place of work. Don’t let people use tobacco in your home.
Get support: You have a better chance of quitting if you have help from your doctor, family, friends, and coworkers. Ask them not to use tobacco around you. Get individual, group, or telephone counseling.
Learn new skills and behaviors: Do something as a replacement stress reliever for using tobacco. Exercise, take a hot bath, read a book, drink a lot of water. A hobby can also help lower stress.
Get and use medication: there are FDA-approved medications to help you quit smoking – nicotine gum; anti-depressants, nicotine inhalers; nicotine nasal sprays; nicotine patch, anti-addiction medications. Statistically, your chances of quitting double when you use any of these.
Be prepared for relapse: Most people aren’t successful the first several times they try to quit. If you do have a relapse, make a list of the things you learned, and then set a date to quit again. Two things that can help you stay on track: give up drinking alcohol and spending time with other people who use tobacco.