Say No To Cigarettes - And Yes To A Healthy Life

Over 45 million American adults are smokers, a figure that amounts to a whopping 19.3 percent. All of those are aware of the risks they inflict on themselves every day they continue their addiction, at least vaguely. But people are weird. They spend more time worrying about threats that are beyond their control — like terrorism — than those they actively participate in.

Smoking is much more likely to kill you than a terrorist attack, but if you are a smoker you choose to ignore this fact because you know that you are not going to die tomorrow. “At some point in the future, decades from now” is obviously too theoretical for most people. Though the deadly effects of a cigarette addiction rarely show up immediately, there is no time like World No Tobacco Day to remind yourselves that they are very real indeed.

The facts speak for themselves:

• Smoking causes more cases of death and disability than any single disease!

• Every time you light up, you choose to inhale 4,000 different chemicals, of which at least 80 cause cancer.

• Smokers in their forties and fifties are five times more likely to have a heart attack than people of the same age who do not smoke.

• People who have smoked all their adult life have a 50 percent chance of dying from their addiction, and as many as half of these deaths will occur during middle age. Smoking can be fatal sooner than you may realize.

• By smoking, you actively increase your chance of dying from lung cancer by 12 percent (women) or 22 percent (men). You also have a higher risk of getting other cancers, including oral cancer, liver cancer, leukemia, uterine cancer, and stomach cancer.

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease makes it hard to breathe. Would you like to be one of those people that constantly require oxygen?

  Read More: The Disadvantages Of Tobacco Smoking

You are not exempt from these dangers. The only way to improve your life expectancy and your health is to stop smoking. Though there is no time like the present, smokers do have to be truly ready to quit if they want to stay quit.

Quitting Smoking — You Can Do It!

Smoking is an addiction like gambling, drinking, sex, and cocaine can be. Kicking any addiction is hard, but stopping smoking is not as difficult as you may think. Anyone who is truly motivated can do it. Sometimes, you need a wake-up call like high blood pressure, a heart attack, or a smoking-related death in your family. It's best if you don't wait for something terrible to happen before you stop smoking, though. If you are simply fed up with cigarettes, you can quit.

I decided to quit playing ostrich 18 months ago. I pulled my head out of the sand and took a good, hard look at smoking statistics and the effect it was having on my health. I decided to quit for many reasons, but my kids were the most important one. Second- and third-hand smoke damages the health of everyone who lives with a smoker, and children of smokers are more likely to take the bad habit up later in life too.

One day, I threw away my half-smoked packet of cigarettes and simply quit. It was hard, but not that hard. The first three days were the worst, and the urge to smoke returned periodically after that. It still rears its ugly heard sometimes, when I experience a particularly stressful moment.

The health benefits quitting smoking offered were noticeable pretty immediately, however, and that is certainly one of the things that kept me from lighting up again. Climbing stairs became easier. That smoker's cough in the morning went away. I stopped suffering from cold hands and feet. My blood pressure went down.

When you quit, the first things that you are going to experience will be the negative symptoms of the withdrawal process. You will feel anxious, moody, and angry. You are going to be extra hungry, or experience cravings. Your body is looking for a way to make up for the loss of its familiar habit somehow. As time goes on, you will start seeing the positives.

Less Known, But Still Effective Ways To Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking is a challenging process, and what works for one person might not work for another. Some of the more popular methods include nicotine replacement therapies (patches, gum, inhalers, etc.), medications (like varenicline and bupropion), and behavioral therapy. However, there are lesser-known approaches and alternative methods some people have found helpful:

1. Acupuncture: Some claim that acupuncture helps to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

2. Hypnotherapy: While scientific data on its effectiveness varies, some smokers have found success with hypnosis sessions tailored towards breaking the smoking habit.

3. Herbal Remedies: There are herbs like Lobelia (also known as Indian tobacco) and St. John's Wort that some people believe reduce cravings. However, you should consult with a healthcare professional before trying any herbal supplements.

4. Smoking Deterrents: Some smokers coat their cigarettes with a bitter substance to make smoking unpalatable.

5. Aversion Therapy: This involves pairing smoking with a negative stimulus. For example, smokers might snap a rubber band on their wrist every time they have a craving.

6. Delay Technique: When you feel the urge to smoke, delay it by 5 or 10 minutes. Sometimes, the craving will pass or diminish in intensity.

7. Breathing Exercises: Deep breathing can mimic the act of smoking in terms of taking a deep inhale and exhale. This can help calm the urge.

8. Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices can help manage cravings by focusing on the present moment and recognizing cravings without acting on them.

9. Tactile Substitutes: Holding onto something, like a pen or a small stone, can help divert the need to hold a cigarette.

How Quitting Will Change Your Life For The Better

People who are about to quit smoking tend to feel daunted, and may not be sure if they can really do it. If you are a quitter, you will need a lot of motivation and you will need to be determined not to light up when you face difficulties in life. Many of the benefits of quitting come a little later on, but being aware of them every step of the way may make the difference between staying smoke-free or returning to your old addiction.

Here is a list ways in which quitting will change your life for the better. I suggest printing it out, and hanging it up somewhere so that you can see what your hard work is doing for you when things get tough:

• Your lung capacity will improve by 10 percent within nine months. That means you will breathe more easily, something you may especially notice when you work out. Working out is a great activity that combats post-smoking weight loss and distracts you from cravings.

• When you quit smoking, you add years to your life. If you are a man in your twenties, you add 10 years to your life by quitting now. Quit at 60, gain three years.

• You think smoking helps you be less stressed? Research shows the opposite. Quitting will eliminate your constant cravings for cigarettes, and reduce the stress you feel on a daily basis.

• You will have more energy as soon as two weeks after quitting. Your circulation will continue to improve, and reach a peak after 12 weeks. This will make it much easier for you to exercise, and do almost anything else. A better circulation will also improve your sex life.

• Non-smokers have a better immune system, which means you will get ill less often.

• Your sense of taste and smell will improve within a few weeks of quitting. You will be able to enjoy foods that you could not even taste properly any more.

• Your clothes and hair will smell better.

• Are you in your reproductive years? Your fertility will improve once you stop smoking.

• You will keep your family safe from the effects the second-hand smoke they would otherwise breathe in, and the third-hand smoke that has settled on almost all surfaces within your house.

  Read More: Tobacco Health Impact: A Day Without Smoking

So, how do you quit? Determination is all you really need, in my experience. I loved having a water bottle ready whenever I felt the urge to smoke, and benefited from sucking on a lollipop while writing — since writing is what most induced me to smoke. Regular exercise will get your body into a healthier mood, will distract you from your own devious, smoking-prone mind, and will prevent the post-quitting weight gain many people experience.

I stopped smoking successfully a year and a half ago. I improved my health and life expectancy, and did the same for my kids and husband. I went through nicotine withdrawal and said no to the urge to light a cigarette. I quit forever. You can do it too!

To celebrate World No Tobacco Day, I am encouraging all SteadyHealth readers who are committed to kicking their nicotine addiction to post about their plans in the comments section below. Those who need extra motivation can write about their struggles whenever they feel like it, and I promise I will reply to your comments to give you some extra support. However, you are the person who really needs to put the hard work in. If you are ready, be certain that you can improve the length and quality of your life today.