Quitting Smoking

• In the U.S. 400,000 people die from smoking every year or 1096 people a day
• 3000 people died in the World Trade Center attacks, smoking kills the same amount every 3 days
• Worldwide 4 million people die from smoking every year or 110,000 people a day
• Smoking kills ½ of all people who smoke
• Smoking kills more than alcohol abuse, drug abuse, AIDS, motor vehicle crashes, homicide, and suicide combined

For smokers, quitting is probably the single best thing they can do to lengthen their lives and improve their overall general health. For most smokers, it has been so long since they could breath deeply without coughing, or lie at night on their back and not hear their chest ‘gurgle’ when they breath, that they believe their current state is normal. Well, it’s not.

People already have smoking related illnesses such as heart disease will also benefit greatly by quitting smoking. Almost immediately after you quit, your body starts to repair itself. It won’t happen overnight, but it does happen. Here’s a brief timeline for what happens with your body when you quit smoking

8 Hours:

• Carbon Monoxide levels drop
• Oxygen levels increase
  

2 Days:

• Taste starts to come back
• Risk of heart disease decreases

4-7 Days:

• Bronchial tubes start to relax
• Lung capacity increases
• Breathing becomes easier

2 Weeks-90 days:

• Circulation improves
• Lung capacity increases up to 30%

6-9 months

• Flem will clear from your chest.
• Breathing will be easier
• Sinus congestion and shortness of breath will be reduced

1 Year:

• Chance of heart disease is cut in half

5-15 Years:

• You risk of stroke will be about the same as a non-smoker
• Your risk of dying from lung cancer will be about half of what it would have been if you had continued to smoke.
• Your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas will also decrease.

There are other benefits to quitting smoking. Your clothes, hair, breath won’t smell, your family and friends wont keep nagging at you to quit, you’ll have the energy to do more things.

But probably the best benefit of quitting smoking is that you aren’t a prisoner of tobacco any more. Your life wont be ruled by a cigarette.

Quitting is not easy. Anyone who says otherwise is trying to sell you something. Many people have their own points of view about how to quit. Gum, patch, cold turkey, everyone says they know exactly how to quit. In reality, there is no one best way to quit. You need to find what works for you. I quit smoking as of 6 weeks ago. I personally used the gum. I chewed the gum for about 3 weeks regularly, then about 2 pieces a day for a week or so, then I was done. I have a friend that used nasal spray and was done with cigarettes within a week. However, no matter what you use, you will not be successful if your head isn’t ready to quit.

No matter what anyone says, it will require will power. Unless you plan on just doping yourself into a coma for a month or so, you are not going to pop a pill and stop smoking. It requires at least some will power. If you don’t get it in your mind that you are going to quit smoking, you wont.

But at the same time, you will have a better chance of quitting smoking if you stop some of the other habits that you did when you smoked.

• If you only smoke or smoke more when you go to bars…stop going to bars. Simple enough, and you’ll probably save money too.
• If you smoke when you’re in the car, keep gum in the glovebox
• If you smoke when you hang out with certain friends, tell them you are quitting, they will probably be glad to help out.

You are not just quitting smoking, you’re breaking a habit. I know that when I smoked, most times it was purely habit. Because I was in the car driving, or shooting the breeze with my buddies, whatever.

Will you gain weight? Not unless you put a lot of food in your mouth. Just because you quit smoking doesn’t automatically mean you should start eating. If you need to replace the oral sensations, chew gum, maybe have a couple tic-tacs, or maybe exercise that will and self discipline and realize that you are the one who is in charge, not the cigarette, or the addiction.

While will-power is needed, programs like gum, patches, even hypnosis can give you the backing you need to succeed. Here are a few programs to help you along the way.
· In the U.S. 400,000 people die from smoking every year or 1096 people a day
· 3000 people died in the World Trade Center attacks, smoking kills the same amount every 3 days
· Worldwide 4 million people die from smoking every year or 110,000 people a day
· Smoking kills ½ of all people who smoke
· Smoking kills more than alcohol abuse, drug abuse, AIDS, motor vehicle crashes, homicide, and suicide combined

You are not just quitting smoking, you’re breaking a habit. I know that when I smoked, most times it was purely habit. Because I was in the car driving, or shooting the breeze with my buddies, whatever.
Will you gain weight? Not unless you put a lot of food in your mouth. Just because you quit smoking doesn’t automatically mean you should start eating. If you need to replace the oral sensations, chew gum, maybe have a couple tic-tacs, or maybe exercise that will and self discipline and realize that you are the one who is in charge, not the cigarette, or the addiction.

While will-power is needed, programs like gum, patches, even hypnosis can give you the backing you need to succeed. Here are a few programs to help you along the way.
Easy Quit System
Quit Smoking Today


This is important. When you quit…you quit. ‘Just having one’ will not work. You can guarantee that if you ‘just have one’ that is going to lead to another. However, if that happens, don’t let it stop you from trying again. Your goal is to quit, it doesn’t matter how many times it takes to do that

Good luck!