Cancer Prevention
Why should I quit smoking?
Smoking is by far the worst thing you can do for your health and for the health of those around you, causing more cancer deaths than any other factor. Breathing in secondhand smoke is now known to be just as dangerous as smoking. Lung cancer is the deadliest of all cancers, but the good news is that quitting smoking offers immediate and long-term health benefits:
Short-term benefits:
- Improved blood pressure and pulse rate
- Improved circulation
- Decreased fits of coughing, sinus congestion and shortness of breath
- Lung function increases
- Level of carbon monoxide in blood declines
- Sense of taste and smell return
- Improved ability to exercise
- Reduced risk for heart attack and stroke reduced
- Increased energy
- Reduces the risk of your family and friends being exposed to second-hand smoke
- Clothes, fingers and hair smell better
Long-term benefits:
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Ten to 15 years after quitting, a smoker's risk of premature death becomes similar to that of a person who has never smoked.
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Approximately 10 years after quitting smoking, an ex-smoker's risk of lung cancer is 50 percent less than the risk for continuing smokers.
- Risk of tobacco-related cancers, such as esophageal, kidney, pancreas, and cervical cancer, decreases.
- Heart disease and ulcer risk decreases.
Tips to get started:
- Pick a quitting date and share it with friends and family for support.
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Get help. There are a number of organizations that provide smoking cessation clinics and classes for motivation and support.
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Talk to your health care provider about ways to quit. There are prescription and over-the-counter medications that may be appropriate for you.
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Recognize what triggers you to smoke. If you smoke after you have coffee or alcohol, switch to another beverage. If tension or stress makes you light up, examine what is causing the stress and find other solutions.
- When you feel the urge to smoke, take a walk instead.
- Find other activities for your hands; do puzzles, get out and garden or take up writing.
- Begin an exercise program; you will begin to feel more energetic and encouraged by the result of smoke-free living.
- Save the money you would spend on cigarettes and treat yourself to a special gift.
- Get your teeth cleaned and keep a photo of your whiter teeth.
- Talk to other people who are quitting, and support each other.
- Surround yourself with non-smokers who will not allow smoking and go to places where smoking is prohibited.
- Find a quitting partner and motivate one another.
For more help quitting:
The following organizations provide information and materials on how to quit smoking:
Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy Support and Education
P.O. Box 849
Vancouver, WA 98666
1-800-298-2436 or 360-696-2436
www.alcase.org
info@alcase.org
American Heart Association
7272 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, TX 75231
1-800-242-8721
www.americanheart.org
American Lung Association
1740 Broadway
New York, NY 10019-4274
1-800-586-4872 or 212-315-8700
www.lungusa.org
info@lungusa.org
Office of Smoking and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Mail Stop K-50
4770 Buford Highway, NE
Atlanta, GA 30341-3724
1-800-232-1311 or 770-488-5705
www.cdc.gov/tobacco
tobaccoinfo@cdc.gov
Excerpt taken from preventcancer.org
Disclaimer: This information is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.
2006 Copyright HCMT