Kick that Smoking Habit - Quit Today

Know the dangers of smoking and how you can quit smoking today, and breathe easier tomorrow.

Statistics and Dangers of Smoking

Cigarettes are perhaps the only legal product whose intended use, smoking, is proven to be harmful to the human body. Each year, nearly 400,000 Americans die from the effects of smoking.

Cigarette smokers have more than twice the risk of heart attack, and two to four times the chance of cardiac arrest. Anyone who starts smoking, no matter what their age, gender, body type or genetic make-up is at risk of becoming addicted to nicotine and the dangers of smoking.

The Addictive Nature of Nicotine

Although some people try to make their smoking habit safer by smoking fewer cigarettes, most smokers find that hard to do because of the addictive nature of nicotine, the most active ingredient in cigarettes.

Several studies have found nicotine to be as addictive as heroin, cocaine or alcohol, and nicotine is the most common form of drug addiction in the United States. Cigarette smoke also contains tar, which is made up of more than 4,000 chemicals, including over 60 known to cause cancer. Some of these substances can also cause heart and lung diseases, and all of them when taken in large doses can be deadly.

Lighting up Causes Cancer

Smoking is the leading cause of many types of cancer, including 90% of lung cancers, as well as the leading cause of several lung diseases that can be just as dangerous as lung cancer, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Cigarette smoking also increases the risk of heart disease, which is the number one cause of death in the United States.

Pregnant women who smoke risk not only their health, but also the health and lives of their unborn babies. Smoking during pregnancy is linked with a greater chance of spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, infant deaths, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Up to 10% of infant deaths would be prevented if pregnant women did not smoke.

Smoking also causes many short-term effects, such as decreased lung function, which leads to shortness of breath and persistent coughs, and the inability to maintain physical activity for long periods of time. Some other common short-term effects of smoking include a diminished ability to smell and taste, premature aging of the skin, and increased risk of sexual impotence in men.

How You Can Kick the Habit

Quitting smoking is not easy, but it can be done. To have the best chance of quitting successfully you need to know what you're up against, what your options are, and where to go for help.

Many smokers will try to quit smoking several times before succeeding because of the addictive nature of nicotine. When you try to cut back on or quit smoking, the absence of nicotine can lead to both physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms that lead many smokers to want to start smoking again. These symptoms can include nervousness, headaches, irritability, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, increased appetite, and trouble sleeping.

Nictone Replacement, Patches, Gum, and Inhalers ...Oh My!

Nicotine replacement therapies such as patches, gums, inhalers, nasal sprays, and lozenges can help ease the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal by providing controlled doses of nicotine without the other harmful components of cigarette smoke.

There is no one right way to quit, different methods will work better for different people. Besides nicotine replacement therapy there are also step-by-step programs, self-help counseling, and toll-free help lines to help you make the changes in your daily routine in order to quit smoking.

It is never too late to quit smoking. As soon as within 20 minutes of your last cigarette your body will begin to restore itself, and over time the carbon monoxide levels in your blood will return to normal, and your circulation and lung functions will begin to improve.

You Can Quit Today!

Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in our society. In the United States, tobacco causes nearly 1 in 5 deaths, killing nearly 400,000 Americans each year. It is difficult to stop smoking, but you can do it. More than 44 million Americans have quit smoking for good, and there are now nearly as many former smokers as current smokers.

There are several organizations and community health programs that offer materials and information, counseling and other services to help you to quit smoking. You can also ask your doctor, dentist, or local hospital for additional references and resources.