If you’ve been thinking about quitting the nicotine habit, the Great American Smokeout is a great day to begin.
Quitting isn’t easy. Nicotine is not the only physically addictive chemical in cigarettes—tobacco contains a range of addictive chemical compounds, and depending on your brand, there could be other additives that are adding to your addiction. But besides the physical addiction, there are also emotional and behavioral habits that need to be addressed in order to successfully overcome an addiction to cigarette smoking or other use of tobacco. Overcoming these obstacles requires a powerful incentive, a clear plan, and a great deal of support. This is the purpose of the Great American Smokeout.
Held every year on the third Thursday of November, The Great American Smokeout was started almost 50 years ago to give people an incentive to overcome their tobacco habit. The Smokeout event draws attention to the serious health effects of smoking and gives people a date to make a plan to quit or to begin a smoking cessation program.
Getting help to quit
Research shows that people who want to quit smoking are more successful when they utilize a support system, such as BCHIP’s Quit Smoking Program. Our FREE program, which consists of five weekly sessions, offers education, tools, and emotional support to those who are trying to kick the habit. You can attend as often as you feel you need the help. Both virtual and in-person sessions are offered in order to make it as easy as possible for people to attend. Additional help is available through the PA Quit Line, 1-800-QUITNOW, for one-on-one, over-the-phone nicotine dependence counseling.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is also available for those who qualify. NRT supplies a low dose of nicotine to cut down on cravings and lessen the physical withdrawal symptoms, making it easier to quit. NRT is especially helpful for heavy smokers, who would experience more severe withdrawal symptoms than those who smoke less. Gum and patches seem to work well, but it also comes in other forms, including lozenges and inhalers. You should discuss with your doctor your desire to quit smoking to determine if NRT would be helpful for you and in what form.
Making a plan to quit
There are many different reasons that people smoke, and there are many different reasons why people want to quit. The first step to quitting is determining your very strong “why.” If it’s not very strong, it will be difficult to continue when the process of quitting becomes uncomfortable.
Common reasons to quit:
- Health: Smoking harms virtually every organ in the body; can cause lung cancer, COPD, tooth loss, and blindness; damages blood vessels; and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Appearance: Smoking discolors teeth, speeds aging, increases wrinkles, and makes your breath and clothes smell.
- Family: Many people choose not to smoke for the people they love. For instance, they might want to protect their children from secondhand smoke and from giving them an example of a bad habit.
- Finances: Smoking is expensive, especially if you smoke a lot, and medical bills for health problems caused by smoking are very expensive.
Whatever your “why” is, make it clear. Tell your family and friends and post a note on your bathroom mirror in the morning, so it’s the first thing you see every day.
Next, prepare to quit by removing all smoking-related items around your house, in your car, and where you work. If you can, start smoking less so that quitting will be a little less uncomfortable in the beginning. Stock up on oral substitutes, such as sugarless gum, carrot sticks, or some other healthy alternative to putting a cigarette (cigar, chewing tobacco, etc.) in your mouth.
As previously mentioned, there are emotional and behavioral habits that you’ll also need to address. For instance, if you have friends with whom you generally smoke, let them know you’re quitting and ask them to support you. If it is possible for them to not smoke around you, great. If not, let them know you will be seeing them after you have successfully quit, which may be a while. If there are places you frequent where you habitually smoke or where others often smoke, it is best to stop going there. This can be very challenging, so remind yourself of your strong “why,” let people know if necessary, and avoid those locations.
If smoking is something you do when you’re nervous or stressed, it’s time to come up with a healthier way to destress. Smoking support can really help with this because a counselor and the other attendants who are quitting can give you some great tips and the moral support you need to make the changes in your life that will help you succeed in quitting.
Don’t try to quit alone. Join a quitting cessation program, such as our BCHIP Quit Smoking Program, to make this year the beginning of a smoke-free, healthy life! Visit bchip.org/quit-smoking-programs, call (267) 291-7882, or click here to register.
