Health benefits for tobacco users who quit As soon as you quit using tobacco, your body begins to heal.

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Health benefits for tobacco users who quit As soon as you quit using tobacco, your body begins to heal."

Bethanie Parks
6 years ago
Views:

1 Quitting Tobacco

Quitting Tobacco Think about your tobacco use Think back to when you first started to use tobacco. What caused you to start? What were you feeling about tobacco? Do you still feel the same?

2 Quitting Tobacco Think about your tobacco use Think back to when you first started to use tobacco. What caused you to start? What were you feeling about tobacco? Do you still feel the same? When you started using tobacco, you gradually built up the amount of tobacco you used. Quitting tobacco is a process that follows the same gradual path. Most smokers will quit 6 or 7 times before making the final quit. Are you ready to quit? Rate your motivation to quit With 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest or the most motivated, where are you in your motivation or desire to quit? Circle your motivation number. Then find your motivation number below. There is no right or wrong answer I am at 1-3 You know that you have a problem with tobacco. You are beginning to think about how to quit. Think about the reasons you use tobacco. Do you need more information about how to beat an addiction or handle stress? Learning more about how to quit is an important part of the journey. I am at 4-6 Maybe you are not ready today. Change is a process. Pay more attention to when and why you use tobacco. Remind yourself about the reasons you want to quit. Plan what you will do with the money you save. Imagine not having to stand in the cold to smoke. Learn more about nicotine replacement therapy. Plan how you will deal with situations where you will want to use tobacco. I am at 7-10 You are ready to quit! Set a date to quit using tobacco. Gather your information and tools that you need to be successful. 2

3 Health benefits for tobacco users who quit As soon as you quit using tobacco, your body begins to heal. 20 minutes after quitting: Your blood pressure drops to a level close to that before the last cigarette. The temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal. 8 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. 24 hours after quitting: Your chance of a heart attack decreases. 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases. 1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection. 1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker s. 5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 15 years after quitting. 10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker s. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases. 15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker s. 3

4 Why do you want to quit? Think about why you want to quit using tobacco. Here are some important reasons to think about. Check the reasons that apply to you. Add your own reasons to the list. Cost savings. Consider both the cost of tobacco and health care costs. Family. Prevent danger to your loved ones from second and thirdhand smoke. Health benefits. Quitting tobacco is the best way to improve your health and prevent disease. No tobacco at work. Sick of using tobacco. Social pressure. The pressure to stop using tobacco is all around you. Your reasons to quit tobacco: Why do you use tobacco? This is a list of common reasons or triggers for using tobacco. Check all that apply to you. After meals Alcohol Being around other users Boredom Celebrating Coffee, tea, or pop Driving Feeling angry Feeling alone Feeling sad Feeling scared Habit Having an argument Keeping hands busy Nervousness Seeing a cigarette Seeing chew Socializing Stress Talking on the phone Work breaks Other Identify barriers to quitting What is blocking your way to your success? Check all that apply to you. Dealing with stress Death of a loved one Divorce or separation Fear of failure Habit Health problems Loss of relationships Low motivation New job Weight gain Withdrawal symptoms Others in the household use tobacco Others 4

Types of Tobacco There are many types of tobacco. They all contain nicotine and various chemicals that can harm your health. Find your nicotine delivery method of choice.

5 Types of Tobacco There are many types of tobacco. They all contain nicotine and various chemicals that can harm your health. Find your nicotine delivery method of choice. Keep track of how much tobacco you use. That will help you find the right dose of nicotine replacement therapy when you quit. Smoking Cigarettes are the most common way to use tobacco. They contain nicotine plus over 7000 different chemicals. Some are only added to make your addiction stronger. Over 60 of the added chemicals are known to cause cancer. The chemicals are absorbed into your blood and affect many parts of your body, not just your lungs. Cigars, cigarillos, and little cigars are different sizes, but are all filled with addictive tobacco. In some cases the amount of nicotine can be very high. Pipe tobacco contains nicotine and chemicals like cigarettes and cigars. The amount of nicotine depends on the size of the bowl of the pipe. Pipes create a large amount of second hand smoke for you and others to breathe. Smokeless tobacco Chewing tobacco or Snus contains about 2000 added chemicals. 28 of them are known to cause cancer. One can of chew or snus can have as much nicotine as 3-4 packs of cigarettes. Spitless tobacco (Bandits snus) contains just as many chemicals and nicotine, but they have been altered so you swallow the juice. When you swallow the juice, you absorb the chemicals in your stomach as well as your mouth. Sticks, strips, and orbs are alternative tobacco products containing chemicals that are designed to be chewed and swallowed. Other tobacco delivery methods Hookahs or water pipes are becoming more popular. They filter the tobacco through water before it is inhaled. But, the water does not filter out the chemicals and nicotine. One sitting with a hookah can equal the nicotine in a whole pack of cigarettes. Hookah shops may also add other substances to the tobacco, so you are taking a greater risk. Vaping uses heat to deliver nicotine in a chemical solution. Preliminary research does show harmful health effects with vaping. 5

Quit smoking to get the best from your cancer treatment

Quit smoking to get the best from your cancer treatment Princess Margaret For people who are smoking or using tobacco before or during cancer treatment Read this pamphlet to know how: Smoking during cancer