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Approximately 64 million Americans--or 3 out of 10--still smoke cigarettes, in spite of widespread awareness that smoking causes a number of illnesses.
Most smokers are addicted to cigarettes and find it very difficult to quit this unhealthy habit.
Although it is not easy to stop smoking, it is possible, and new products are helping to make it easier. With this in mind, the Health Alliance
encourages you to make a commitment to quit smoking. The Great American Smokeout in November is an opportunity for smokers everywhere to end the
addicting habit once and for all. The American Lung Association and the National
Women's Health Information Center offer these helpful tips:
- Enlist help! If you've found it impossible to keep your commitment in the past, you might be more successful with a smoking-cessation program
provided by your doctor. The American Lung Association also offers an excellent self-help program
called Freedom From Smoking, and a book called 7 Steps to a Smoke-Free Life. The National Cancer
Institute also offers written materials.
- No two smokers are alike. You need to figure out why you smoke, and which people, places and things trigger your own personal urge to light up.
- Identify your personal obstacles to stopping smoking. Devise a plan to clear your life of these roadblocks.
- Think of substitutes for smoking--things you can do when the urge strikes, such as chew gum or take a walk.
- If nicotine withdrawal is a major problem, try nicotine "fading" to gradually reduce your cravings before quitting altogether, or nicotine
replacement (the patch or gum) to help get you used to not smoking.
- If you have been unable to quit even with nicotine substitutes, a new pill called ZybanR may be right for you. This pill alters brain chemistry and
requires a prescription. Ask your doctor for more information.
- Pick a day to quit. Quitting all at once is much more likely to be successful than cutting down gradually. Ask for support from friends and family,
and throw away all your cigarettes.
- Once the "quit day" arrives, take it seriously.
- Develop a strategy for dealing with temptation.
- Treat "slip-ups" like an emergency, to keep lapses from becoming total relapses.
Don't get discouraged if you temporarily go back to smoking. Just pick another quit date, get support from friends and family and try again.
SOURCES: The American
Lung Association and the National Women's Health Information Center of the Office on Women's
Health, US Department of Health and Human Services
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The Health Alliance continues to be a leader in cancer care using a
multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention,
education and research of cancer. Our diverse health care team includes
physicians and specialists in all areas of cancer care including medical
oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, gynecological oncology,
as well as nurses, social workers, physical and occupational therapists,
nutritionists, psychologists and many others. In addition, Health Alliance
physicians and  world-renowned cancer researchers in our facilities offer
internationally recognized services in neuro-oncology, head and neck
oncology, stem cell transplantation and clinical cancer research. The
Health Alliance offers a holistic approach to cancer care not only
recognizing the physical needs of our patients, but also recognizing and
supporting the emotional and spiritual needs of them and their families.
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If you’d like more information on cancer
care, including information about cancer treatment, screening, prevention, supportive care
and clinical trials, please contact one of our facilities.
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| FYI Links: |
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Smokeout
Day |
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The American Cancer Society will tell you all about it. Try it!
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ASH |
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This web site has everything for those concerned about smoking and
nonsmokers' rights.
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| Tips
from the CDC |
| The CDC offers tips for quitting. |
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