Challenges
Most smokers want to quit, but many put it off for various reasons.  Do any of these quotes sound familiar?

“I just can’t stop.”
You may know a few people who have quit cold turkey, but this is one of the hardest ways to do it. Resources are available to help phase out your addiction to tobacco. You can ask your doctor about prescription drugs or try over-the-counter quitting aids like the patch, nicotine gum or lozenges. Find a friend to quit with. Try setting a quit date and sticking to it.

“I only smoke when I drink.” 
Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals. One of those chemicals, nicotine, makes smoking incredibly addictive – just as addictive as cocaine or heroin. Occasional smokers tend to become “full time” tobacco users. Try quitting now, before you build a strong dependency.

“My dad is 74 and has smoked all his life. Nothing has happened to him.”
While cases like this exist, the statistics clearly show that using tobacco greatly increases your risk for many diseases. Why gamble with your life? Just because a smoker has not contracted a fatal disease, the body is still experiencing negative effects from tobacco. Using tobacco will discolor your teeth, give you bad breath, interfere with your physical abilities and possibly keep others from wanting to be around you. In the long term, tobacco use can cause premature wrinkling, mouth cancer, lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease. It could also leave you dependent on an oxygen tank or speaking through a voice box for the rest of your life.

 

“I tried quitting, and I couldn’t do it.”
Quitting takes practice; it’s not easy. Most people try to quit several times before they are successful. Think of past attempts as practice and keep working toward your goal. A support system of friends and family can keep you motivated and help you deal with cravings.

“I’ve been a smoker for so long, quitting won’t even help me.”
Your body will almost immediately benefit once you stop using tobacco – regardless of how long you have been using it. Within just 20 minutes your blood pressure and heart rate will drop to normal. After eight hours, levels of poisonous carbon monoxide decrease while oxygen increases. In just one day, your chances of having a heart attack go down. During the first week after quitting your nerve endings will start to regrow, your sense of taste and smell will improve, and your lung capacity will increase, allowing you to breath deeper and easier. In the first year, you will cough much less, have more energy and experience fewer sinus problems. By five years your risk of lung cancer is cut in half, and your risk level for stroke returns to that of a person who has never used tobacco.