Switch Brands Smking Cessatin: Ways f Quitting Switch t a brand yu find distasteful. Change t a brand that is lw in tar and nictine a cuple f weeks befre yur target date. This will help change yur smking behavir. Hwever, d nt smke mre cigarettes, inhale them mre ften r mre deeply, r place yur fingertips ver the hles in the filters. All f these will increase yur nictine intake, and the idea is t get yur bdy use t functining withut nictine. Cut Dwn the Number f Cigarettes Yu Smke Smke nly half f each cigarette. Each day, pstpne the lighting f yur first cigarette ne hur. Decide yu'll nly smke during dd r even hurs f the day. Decide befrehand hw many cigarettes yu'll smke during the day. Fr each additinal cigarette, give a dllar t yur favrite charity. Change yur eating habits t help yu cut dwn. Fr example, drink milk, which many peple cnsider incmpatible with smking. End meals r snacks with smething that wn't lead t a cigarette. Reach fr a glass f juice instead f a cigarette fr a "pick-me-up." Remember: Cutting dwn can help yu quit, but it's nt a substitute fr quitting. If yu're dwn t abut seven cigarettes a day, it's time t set yur target quit date. Get ready and stick t it. Dn't Smke "Autmatically" Smke nly thse cigarettes yu really want. Catch yurself befre yu light up a cigarette ut f pure habit. Dn't empty yur ashtrays. This will remind yu f hw many cigarettes yu've smked each day, and the sight and the smell f stale cigarettes butts will be very unpleasant. Make yurself aware f each cigarette by using the ppsite hand r putting cigarettes in an unfamiliar lcatin r a different pcket t break the autmatic reach. If yu light up many times during the day withut even thinking abut it, try t lk in a mirrr each time yu put a match t yur cigarette; yu may decide yu dn't need it. Make Smking Incnvenient Stp buying cigarettes by the cartn. Wait until ne pack is empty befre yu buy anther. Stp carrying cigarettes with yu at hme r at wrk. Make them difficult t get t.
Make Smking Unpleasant Smke nly under circumstances that aren't especially pleasurable fr yu. If yu like t smke with thers, smke alne. Turn yur chair t an empty crner and fcus nly n the cigarette yu are smking and all its many negative effects. Cllect all yur cigarette butts in ne large glass cntainer as a visual reminder f the filth made by smking. Just Befre Quitting Practice ging withut cigarettes. Dn't think f never smking again. Think f quitting in terms f ne day at a time. Tell yurself yu wn't smke tday, and then dn't. Clean yur clthes t rid them f the cigarette smell, which can linger a lng time. On the Day Yu Quit Thrw away all yur cigarettes and matches. Hide yur lighters and ashtrays. Visit the dentist and have yur teeth cleaned t get rid f tbacc stains. Ntice hw nice they lk and reslve t keep them that way. Make a list f things yu'd like t buy fr yurself r smene else. Estimate the cst in terms f packs f cigarettes, and put the mney aside t buy these presents. Keep very busy n the big day. G t the mvies, exercise, take lng walks, g bike riding. Remind yur family and friends that this is yur quit date, and ask them t help yu ver the rugh spts f the first cuple f days and weeks. Buy yurself a treat r d smething special t celebrate. Immediately After Quitting Develp a clean, fresh, nnsmking envirnment arund yurself - at wrk and at hme. Buy yurself flwers; yu may be surprised hw much yu can enjy their scent nw. The first few days after yu quit, spend as much free time as pssible in places where smking isn't allwed, such as libraries, museums, theaters, department stres and churches. Drink large quantities f water and fruit juice (but avid sdas that cntain caffeine). Try t avid alchl, cffee and ther beverages that yu assciate with cigarette smking. Strike up cnversatin instead f a match fr a cigarette. If yu miss the sensatin f having a cigarette in yur hand, play with smething else - a pencil, a paper clip, a marble. If yu miss having smething in yur muth, try tthpicks r a fake cigarette. Avid temptatin Instead f smking after meals, get up frm the table and brush yur teeth r g fr a walk. If yu always smke while driving, listen t a particularly interesting radi prgram r yur favrite music, r take public transprtatin fr a while, if yu can.
Fr the first ne t three weeks, avid situatins yu strngly assciate with the pleasurable aspects f smking, such as watching yur favrite TV prgram, sitting in yur favrite chair, r having a ccktail befre dinner. Until yu are cnfident f yur ability t stay ff cigarettes, limit yur scializing t healthful, utdr activities r situatins where smking is nt allwed. If yu must be in a situatin where yu'll be tempted t smke (such as a ccktail r dinner party), try t assciate with the nnsmkers there. Try t analyze cigarette ads t understand hw they attempt t "sell" yu n individual brands. When yu get the crazies Keep ral substitutes handy; try carrts, pickles, sunflwer seeds, apples, celery, raisins r sugarless gum instead f a cigarette. Take 10 deep breaths and hld the last ne while lighting a match. Exhale slwly and blw ut the match. Pretend it's a cigarette and crush it ut in an ashtray. Take a shwer r bath if pssible. Learn t relax quickly and deeply. Make yurself limp, visualize a sthing, pleasing situatin, and get away frm it all fr a mment. Cncentrate n that peaceful image and nthing else. Light incense r a candle instead f a cigarette. Never allw yurself t think that "ne wn't hurt"; it will. Find new habits Change yur habits t make smking difficult, impssible r unnecessary, Fr example, it's hard t smke while yu're swimming, jgging, r playing tennis r handball. When yur desire fr a cigarette is intense, wash yur hands r the dishes r try new recipes. D things that require yu t use yur hands. Try crsswrd puzzles, needlewrk, gardening r husehld chres. G bike riding r take the dg fr a walk; give yurself a manicure; write letters. Enjy having a clean muth taste and maintain it by brushing yur teeth frequently and using a muthwash. Stretch a lt. Get plenty f rest. Pay attentin t yur appearance. Lk and feel sharp. Try t find time fr the activities that are the mst meaningful, satisfying and imprtant t yu. Abut gaining weight Many peple wh are cnsidering quitting are very cncerned abut gaining weight. If yu are cncerned abut weight gain, keep these pints in mind: Quitting desn't mean yu'll autmatically gain weight. When peple gain it's because they ften eat mre nce they quit. The benefits f giving up cigarettes far utweigh the drawbacks f adding a few punds. Yu'd have t gain a very large amunt f weight t ffset the many substantial health benefits that a nrmal smker gains by quitting. Watch what yu eat, and if yu are cncerned abut gaining weight, cnsider the tips that fllw:
Make sure yu have a well-balanced diet, with the prper amunts f prtein, carbhydrates and fat. Dn't set a target date fr a hliday, when the temptatin f high-calrie fd and drinks may be t hard t resist. Drink a glass f water befre yur meals. Weigh yurself weekly. Chew sugarless gum when yu want sweet fds. Plan menus carefully, and cunt calries. Dn't try t lse weight; just try t maintain yur pre-quitting weight. Have lw-calrie fds n hand fr nibbling. Use the Snack Calrie Chart t chse fds that are bth nutritius and lw in calries. Sme gd chices are fresh fruits and vegetables, fruit and vegetable juices, lw-fat cttage cheese and air-ppped ppcrn withut butter. Take time fr daily exercise r jin an rganized exercise grup. Fr Mre Infrmatin The Cancer Infrmatin Service, a prgram f the Natinal Cancer Institute, is a natinwide telephne service fr cancer patients and their families and friends, the public, and health care prfessinals. The staff can answer questins (in English r Spanish) and can send free Natinal Cancer Institute materials abut cancer. They als knw abut supprt grups and ther resurces and services. One tll-free number, (800) 4-CANCER (800-422-6237), cnnects callers with the ffice that serves their area. The fllwing rganizatins als can help yu. Cntact them t learn mre abut quitting fr keeps. American Cancer Sciety* 1599 Cliftn Rad, NE Atlanta, GA 30329 (404) 320-3333 The American Cancer Sciety (ACS) is a vluntary rganizatin cmpsed f 58 divisins and 3,100 lcal units. Thrugh "The Great American Smke Out" in Nvember, the annual Cancer Crusade in April, and the numerus educatinal materials, ACS helps peple learn abut the health hazards f smking and becme successful ex-smkers. American Heart Assciatin* 7272 Greenville Avenue Dallas, TX 75231 (214) 373-6300 The American Heart Assciatin (AHA) is a vluntary rganizatin with 130,000 members (physicians, scientists, and laypersns) in 55 state and reginal grups. AHA prduces a variety f publicatins and audivisual materials abut the effects f smking n the heart. AHA als has develped a guidebk fr incrprating a weight-cntrl cmpnent int smking cessatin prgrams. American Lung Assciatin* 1740 Bradway New Yrk, NY 10019-4374 (212) 315-8700
The ldest vluntary health agency with 57 state assciatins and 60 affiliates thrughut the United States, the American Lung Assciatin (ALA) prvides help fr smkers wh wish t quit thrugh their Freedm Frm Smking(r) self-help smking cessatin prgram. The rganizatin actively supprts legislatin and infrmatin campaigns fr nnsmkers' rights and cnducts public infrmatin prgrams abut the health effects f smking. Office n Smking and Health Centers fr Disease Cntrl Mail Stp K-50 4770 Bufrd Highway, NE Atlanta, GA 30341-3724 (404) 488-5705 The Office n Smking and Health (OSH) is the Department f Health and Human Services' lead agency in smking cntrl. OSH spnsrs distributin f publicatins n smking-related tpics, such as free flyers n relapse after initial quitting, helping a friend r family member quit smking, the health hazards f smking, and the effects f parental smking n teenagers. *Cnsult yur lcal telephne directry fr listings f lcal chapters. Surce: Natinal Cancer Institute, Natinal Institutes f Health