-Quit Smoking For A Day

Pick your quit day: Make it special. For some, a holiday or anniversary works; others find a less stressful day is better. Find a friend to quit with you or join a community-wide quit day. Attend a special event where smoking is not allowed. Go camping or change your scenery to make quitting easier.

Two weeks before your quit day, make a list of your reasons for quitting. Keep it with you at all times and read it often. Ask your friends and family for support. Start slowly reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke each day. The night before, put away lighters and ashtrays. Throw out cigarettes and matches.

On your quit day--Within 24 hours, you will feel the benefits of quitting: Cold hands and feet will warm up. Your blood pressure and pulse rate will go down. Your heart and lungs begin to heal. DonÕt worry if you feel sleepier or more irritable than usual. These feelings will pass. Cravings are common. Keep hard candies, gum and carrot sticks on hand. Drink lots of water and juice. Avoid places you used to smoke. Or, visit places where smoking is not allowed. Calm your first-day jitters with exercise. Talk with your health care provider about nicotine gum, patches and other stop-smoking aids.

Congratulations on making it one day. If you keep it up:

• Within days, your sense of smell and taste will improve and your breath, hair, fingers and teeth will be cleaner. The earlier you quit, the less chance that youÕll develop premature wrinkles around the eyes and mouth.
• After two weeks, your circulation improves--so does your confidence level--youÕll feel good about your progress.
• In 1 to 9 months, your bodyÕs overall energy level increases. Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease.
• Within 3 months, the cilia in your lungs begin to recover and remove the mucous, so you may notice increased coughing for a few days as the lungs clean themselves out.
• Exercise will become easier.
• Your risk of heart attack decreases dramatically. After a year, you reduce your risk of lung cancer and heart disease.
• Fifteen years after quitting, the risk approaches that of someone who has never smoked.

Reward yourself! Save the money you would have spent on cigarettes and buy something special. If you smoked 20 cigarettes a day, you could save around $2000 a year!

If you slip and smoke, don't give up. Many former smokers tried several times before they succeeded.

Get more information about quitting from your health care provider, call the Wellness Department at the Hospital at 288-5081, 1319 for more tips or to sign up for the next Stop Smoking Class.