Quit Smoking? Yes, You Can.

Anyone who smokes understands how difficult it is to quit. If quitting were a simple matter of willpower or “just saying no,” most smokers would have given up the habit long ago. In fact, of the 47 million smokers in America, 31 million have expressed a desire to quit, and for good reasons. By now, we all are familiar with the potential health hazards associated with smoking: chronic bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, slowed healing of wounds, infertility, ulcers and an increased risk of cancer.

The health risks are especially grave for pregnant women; smoking in pregnancy harms the fetus and often leads to premature delivery, low birth weight, learning problems, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and sometimes death. Roughly 20 percent of all annual deaths are attributed to smoking.

There’s also the issue of second-hand smoke. Subjecting co-workers, friends and family to second-hand smoke exposes them to deadly illnesses even if they do not smoke. Children whose parents smoke are at risk for sudden infant death syndrome, increased susceptibility to colds, ear infections and asthma. And like the smoker, children exposed to second-hand smoke also have an increased risk of cancer. In addition, after having grown up in a smoking household, children are much more likely to take up the unhealthy habit themselves. It is not uncommon to see generations of families passing down a heritage of illness and premature death due to smoking.

More Than a Bad Habit

Unfortunately, knowing smoking can make a person sick or even result in death does not always create enough incentive to help a person quit. “This is because smoking is more than a bad habit – it is an addiction,” says BAC’s Member Assistance Program Director Karen Grear. “Some experts, in fact, credit nicotine as being more addictive than illegal drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. When a smoker lights up, the nicotine in the cigarette reaches the smoker’s brain faster than an injection of heroin. And, like the heroin addict, smokers become physically and psychologically addicted to nicotine, making it harder to quit.”

Withdrawal symptoms from smoking can cause tension, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, headache, cough and dry throat. Psychological dependence often causes cravings, mood swings and irritability.

Tips For Quitting

Conquering this addiction can be a daily battle, but the good news
is that smoking addiction can be beaten. The U.S. Health and Human Services Administration suggests five steps for quitting smoking:

Get ready: Pick a specific day to quit smoking. Rid your home, car and office of cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays. Be prepared to give up smoking entirely, and make a vow against taking a single puff.

Get support: Let your friends, family and coworkers know that you have quit smoking. Ask them to support your goal of quitting by not offering you a cigarette and not smoking in front of you. Getting support also means talking with your family physician, mental health professional, or other healthcare practitioner about resources to help support your efforts to quit.

Learn new skills and behaviors: Create new activities to replace your smoking habit. Practice stress management techniques by exercising, pursuing hobbies or eating a healthy snack. Be prepared to change daily habits that trigger urges to smoke. Instead of taking a routine smoking break, for example, you might try taking a break earlier and spending time in a different place.

Get medication and use it correctly: Recent advancements in medical research make it possible to treat the physical and psychological symptoms related to nicotine withdrawal. Although not for everyone, the nicotine patch, gum, nasal spray and inhaler can help curb withdrawal symptoms.

Be prepared for relapse or difficult situations: Like any addict in the early stages of recovery, a person may experience irritability, mood swings and even depression. Certain types of antidepressant medications may help to reduce the emotional trauma associated with quitting as effectively as a powerful anti-smoking pill.

Support groups, smoking cessation classes, self-help books and tapes have also been shown to be extremely successful in helping us learn what tools we need to manage the psychological need to smoke. The American Lung Association, among others, provides low-cost or free smoking cessation classes in nearly every community. These classes provide valuable advice on how to address the obstacles typically encountered when giving up smoking. For more information, call the American Lung Association at 1-800-LUNG-USA. Or call BAC’s Member Assistance Program (MAP) for a free guide to quitting smoking or to speak privately to MAP’s licensed mental health professional.

MAP assists active and retired BAC members and their immediate families with problems such as depression, stress, alcohol and drug addiction, domestic violence, and parenting and family concerns. All calls are strictly confidential, and are generally accepted Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. toll-free: 1-888-880-8BAC. “Just ask for MAP.”