Set a quit date   ~   Set a firm date for when you will stop smoking.  Give yourself at least 1-2 weeks advance so that you can start planning ahead.  Don't buy cigarettes to carry you beyond your last day.  Tell your family and friends you plan to quit, and ask for their support and encouragement.  Ask them not to offer you cigarettes.

It's never too late to quit smoking   ~   Quitting smoking improves your circulation, your stamina, your skin, and your general health.  Your risk for coronary heart disease, a common cause of death and disability, is halved after only a year without smoking.  Quitting smoking also significantly reduces the likelihood of your getting respiratory problems and lung cancer.

Secondhand smoke is harmful.  Studies have shown that your smoke affects those around you.  Children of parents who smoke around the house are more prone to respiratory infections than children from nonsmoking homes and have a much higher incidence of asthma.  Spouses of smokers have ~1.5 times the chance of lung cancer.

Tobacco, which contains the active drug nicotine, is very addictive substance.  Smoking shouldn’t be seen as a weakness or simply a bad "habit".  Most former smokers make several attempts to quit before they are finally successful. So, never say, "I can't."  Just keep trying.

Throw all your cigarettes away   ~   If you keep cigarettes around, sooner or later you'll break down and smoke one, then another, then another, and so on.  Throw them away.  Make it less easy to start again.  Try chewing sugarless gum is as a substitute for cigarettes....it will also give you good breath and help prevent cavities!

Spend time with nonsmokers rather than with smokers   ~   Think of yourself and identify yourself as a nonsmoker (for example, in restaurants).  Stay away from "smokers' havens," such as bars.  Avoid spending time with smokers.  You can't tell others not to smoke, but you don't have to sit with them while they do.  Old habits die hard and one of your old smoking buddies is sure to offer you a cigarette.  Plan on walking away from cigarette smoke.  Spend time with nonsmokers and sit in the nonsmoking section of restaurants.

Keep your hands busy   ~   You may find you don't know what to do with your hands for a while.  Pick up a book or a magazine.  Try knitting, needlework, pottery, drawing, making a plastic model, or doing a jigsaw puzzle.  Join special interest groups that keep you involved in your hobby.  Try distractions if you are thinking about tobacco --- take a walk, call an old friend, organize the photo album, clean the gutters, or go out and pull some weeds.

Take on new activities   ~   Take on new activities that don't include smoking.  Join an exercise group and work out regularly.  Sign up for an evening class or a join a study group at your church.  Go on more outings with your family or friends.

Join quit-smoking programs if it helps   ~   Some people do better in groups, or with a set of instructions to follow.  That's fine, too. Remember, the aim is to quit smoking.  It doesn't matter how you do it.  Contact the Oregon Lung Association for groups in your area.

You may prefer to be involved in an organized quit-smoking program while you are using the patches and gum.  Neither the patches nor the gum is a miracle cure.  You still need to learn to live without cigarettes in your daily life.

A Time Line of THE BENEFITS OF QUITTING

• 20 minutes after quitting: blood pressure drops to a level close to that before the last cigarette. Temperature of hands and feet increases to normal.
• 8 hours after quitting: carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal.
• 24 hours after quitting: chance of heart attack decreases.
• 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: circulation improves; lung function increases up to 30%.
• 1 to 9 months after quitting: coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease; cilia regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection.
• 1 year after quitting: excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
• 5 years after quitting: stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting.
• 10 years after quitting: lung cancer death rate about half that of a continuing smoker's; risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decrease.
• 15 years after quitting: risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker's.

Regarding Medications   ~   Medications as prescribed by your doctor can help alleviate the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.  Although your ultimate success with smoking cessation depends more on your pre-planning, mental preparedness and motivation, support of friends and family, having something that smoothes out the physical withdrawal symptoms can make life a lot more enjoyable.....not to mention bolster your chances of success.  Medications currently come in two basic forms -- nicotine replacement and sustained release bupropion (Zyban^®).  Talk to your doctor about what is best for you, but both can be taken together and each can add to your success.

Nicotine:  This is the “active” ingredient in cigarettes.  Nicotine comes in three forms:  the patches (OTC), gum (OTC), inhalers (Rx) or the nasal spray (Rx).  These can provide some relief of the physical withdrawal symptoms when quitting cigarettes and nicotine itself is relatively safe.  Familiarize yourself with the signs of nicotine excess (see below).  Don’t immediately remove your patch if you light up one or two cigarettes unless you note some of these signs…hopefully the chances of ultimate success will improve if you keep your patch on.  Try a little 1% cortisone cream if you have a mild rash from the patch.  Also, if despite a nicotine patch, you feel as though you are having symptoms of nicotine withdrawal try putting a piece of nicotine gum between your cheek and gums.
Zyban:  This is an antidepressant medication (buproprion or Wellbutrin^®) that is now marketed for smoking cessation.  It can be a mild stimulant so watch for insomnia, dry mouth, dyspepsia, constipation or agitation.  These symptoms usually improve or go away after a little while.  Seizures have been reported and you should talk to your doctor about this…especially if you have a seizure disorder, anorexia nervosa, have a problem with alcohol or have had a serious head injury.

1-2 weeks prior to your quit day

• Start Zyban^® 1 tablet in the morning.  If you are tolerating the Zyban^® after at least 3-5 days then increase the dose to 1 tablet twice daily (dosed at least 8 hrs apart).

On your quit day:

• Remove all cigarettes from your possession
• Apply the nicotine replacement therapy as prescribed (the patch, nasal spray, Nicotrol inhaler, and/or gum)

Know the signs of nicotine withdrawal and nicotine excess:

Dry mouth; sore         Sip ice-cold water or fruit 

throat, gums, or        juice, or chew gum.

tongue

Headaches               Take a warm bath or shower.

                        Try relaxation or

                        meditation techniques.

Trouble sleeping        Don't drink coffee, tea, or 

                        soda with caffeine after

                        6:00 pm. Again, try

                        relaxation or meditation

                        techniques.

Irregularity            Add roughage to your diet,

                        such as raw fruit, vegetables,

                        and whole-grain cereals. Drink

                        6-8 glasses of water a day.

Fatigue                 Take a nap. Try not to push

                        yourself during this time;

                        don't expect too much of your

                        body until it's had a chance

                        to begin to heal itself over

                        a couple of weeks.

Hunger                  Drink water or low-calorie

                        liquids. Eat low-fat, 

                        low-calorie snacks. See

                        Snack Calorie Chart.

Tenseness,              Take a walk, soak in a hot 

irritability            bath, or try relaxation or

                        meditation techniques.

Coughing                Sip warm herbal tea. Suck on

                        cough drops or sugarless

                        hard candy.

Call or visit the Oregon’s Quit Line (www.oregonquitline.org) if you have questions or need additional suggestions on smoking cessation 1-877-270-STOP.

Call the office if you have questions the Quit Line can’t answer or you have any other questions….Good Luck!