Good Reasons to be Tobacco Free Facts About Tobacco Millions of People have won the fight Half of all adult smokers have successfully quit. You can, too! That s the good news. Quitting tobacco is hard Most people go through very rough days or weeks. Many of them have tried to stop several times. Some may say that it takes practice, so keep trying until you succeed. Tobacco Use Is Linked To Many Health Problems Cancer Heart Disease and Stroke Lung Disease Problems in Pregnancy for Mother and Baby Diabetes Asthma Arthritis Consider The Cost $3.00 a pack x 7 days $21.00/week (pack a day smoker) $21.00 x 4 weeks $84.00/month $84.00 x 12 months $1008.00/year If you smoke two packs a day, that s over $2000 a year. That s a lot of hard-earned money going up in smoke! Think of the extra dollars saved In the first week: Enjoy a movie; After six months: Go on a shopping spree; After one year: Take a family vacation; In five years: Invest in your retirement.
Knowledge Is Power What s in Cigarette Smoke There are more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. Here are a few household names that you might recognize. Scientific Name Household Name Acetone...Nail polish remover Acetic Acid...Vinegar Ammonia...Floor/Toilet bowl cleaner Arsenic...Rat Poison Butane...Cigarette lighter fluid Cadmium...Rechargeable batteries Carbon Monoxide...Car exhaust fumes DDT/Dieldrin...Bug spray Ethanol...Rubbing alcohol Formaldehyde...Use for preserving dead bodies Hexamine...Barbeque light Hydrogen Cyanide...Gas chamber poison Naphthalene...Mothballs Nicotine...Addictive drug/insecticide Nitrous Oxide Phenols...Disinfectant Stearic Acid...Candle wax Vinyl Chloride...Used in making PVC Out of the 4,000 chemicals, it is known that 43 are cancercausing chemicals. When you smoke, you are not only inhaling these harmful substances, so is everyone around you.
Consider the cost for your pocket book! How much do you spend every day on tobacco? Multiply this by 365 days per year. Total cost per year. $ X 365 $ List some of the things you could do with the money you would save if you stopped using tobacco. Cost to your family Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30 percent and lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent. Secondhand smoke is a known cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), respiratory problems, ear infections, and asthma attacks in infants and children. The bodies of infants and children are still developing, so they are especially vulnerable to the poisons in secondhand smoke.* *2006 U.S. Surgeon General s Report, US Department of Health and Human Services Cost to you Long-term risk: Developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-emphysema (COPD) Developing chronic bronchitis Developing cancer: lung, throat, mouth, esophagus, pancreas, bladder, cervix and leukemia and heart attack, heart disease and stroke Short-term risk: Shortness of breath Asthma becomes worse Wrinkles at an early age Tooth and gum disease Yellowing of teeth and fingers Smelling like smoke
Here s the Good News It s NEVER too Early or too Late to stop using Tobacco When you decide to quit, you are showing others how important it is to take care of your body by making healthy choices. Even if you have a hard time quitting, you ll be teaching your children and others around you that anything is worth the struggle when it is important. Benefits of Being Free from Cigarettes Within the first 20 minutes of having your last cigarette: Blood pressure drops to normal Heartbeat slows to normal Circulation improves After 24 hours: Chance of heart attack decreases After 72 hours: Breathing becomes easier Lungs begin to repair Just imagine the long-term benefits When you get help, you are twice as likely to stay tobacco free
Creating a Smoke-Free Environment Benefits To People Around You Infants and small children with parents who do NOT use tobacco products: Have half the bronchitis, pneumonia, ear and respiratory tract infections than infants with parents who smoke Sleep better Have fewer coughs and colds If you smoke, your children are twice as likely to smoke, too. Benefits of a Smoke-Free Home The greatest benefit, of course, is that you will remove all the health risks associated with secondhand tobacco smoke. Plus: When your home is smoke free, it will smell much better. Your food will taste better. You ll spend less time, energy, and money cleaning your curtains, walls, windows, and mirrors. Your insurance rates may be lower check with your insurance company. Even your pets will be happier. For example, secondhand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer in dogs.
Getting ready to quit Why do you use Tobacco?? It makes me feel better when I m stressed and worried. I m addicted to the nicotine in tobacco. I use tobacco out of habit. Why do you Quit? want to I want to be a healthier person. If I quit smoking, I will lower my risk of heart disease, cancer, and many other smoking related health problems. I want those around me to be healthier and I want to set a good example for them. I am pregnant. I want to have more energy. I want to have more money to save or spend. My doctor recommended that I quit. When you quit using tobacco, it is important to see where, when and what triggers cause you to light up or dip. On the next page is an example of a smoking log. You can use it to see what time of day, where, who you are with, and why you chose to use tobacco at that time. By having this written out, you can see where changes need to be made and think of ways to change your routine.
My Tobacco Log Date Time Location People I was with Mood/What was trigger?
The Dangers of Dip and Chew Spit tobacco is still tobacco. Tobacco contains nitrosamines, cancercausing agents, chemicals from the curing process. See the warning on the can. Dip and chew can cause your gums to pull away from the teeth in the place where tobacco is held. The gums do not grow back. Leathery white patches and red sores are common in dippers and chewers and can turn into mouth cancer. Nicotine, found in all tobacco products, is a highly addictive drug which acts on the brain and throughout the body. Dip and chew contain more nicotine than cigarettes. The nicotine addiction is what makes quitting difficult. Those who have been successful are very glad they quit. There is no evidence that brushing and flossing can undo the harm to your teeth and gums. Did you Know? Holding an average-dip in your mouth for 30 minutes gives you as much nicotine as smoking three cigarettes. A 2 can-a-week snuff dipper gets as much nicotine as a 1 1/2 pack-a-day smoker. Need More Reasons to Quit - It s Expensive! A can of dip costs an average of nearly $3. A two-can-a-week habit costs about $300 per year. A can-a-day habit costs nearly $1,100 per year. Likewise, chewing tobacco costs about $2. A pouch-a-day habit costs over $700 a year. Think of all the things you could do with that money instead of dipping or chewing. It adds up.
Questions to Think About Think about the following questions before you try to stop using tobacco products. You may want to talk about your answers with your health care provider. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Why do you want to stop? When you tried to stop in the past, what helped and what didn t? What will be the most difficult situations for you after you stop? How will you plan to handle them? Who can help you through the tough time? Family? Friend? Health care provider? What pleasures do you get from cigarettes or dip/chew? What ways can you still get pleasure when you stop for good?
I m ready to quit, now what? Studies have shown that these steps will help you quit for good. You have the best chance of quitting if you use them together: Get Ready! Set a quit date. My quit date: Change your environment. 1. Get rid of ALL tobacco products and ashtrays in your home, car and place of work. 2. Don t let people smoke in your home. To take the Smoke-Free Home Pledge, call: 1-866-SMOKE FREE or 1-866-766-5337 (http//www.epa.gov/smokefree/pledge/index.html Review your past attempts to quit. Think about what worked and what did not. Once you quit, don t smoke - NOT EVEN A PUFF! From now until you quit, buy one pack at a time and change your brand every day. You will still be smoking, but your taste buds will not be happy. It will be a little easier to make the break on Quit Day.
How Can I Do It Learn New Skills Try to distract yourself from urges to use tobacco. Talk to someone, go for a walk, or get busy with a task. When you first try to quit, change your routine. Use a different route to work. Drink tea instead of coffee. Eat breakfast in a different place. Do something to reduce your stress. Take a hot bath, exercise or read a book. Plan something enjoyable to do every day. Drink a lot of water and other fluids. The Four D s When you crave tobacco, try the Four D s to buy yourself time. 1. 2. 3. 4. Try DEEP breathing. Close your eyes, breathe in through your nose, and breathe out slowly through your mouth. Get a DRINK of water. Drink it slowly, sip by sip. DO something else. Some activities trigger cravings. Get up and move around. DELAY for 10 minutes. Repeat if needed. Cravings may only last around 5-10 minutes, possibly more.
Withdrawal Symptoms Withdrawal Symptoms to Expect when you stop using Tobacco Irritability Nervousness Moodiness Fatigue Insomnia Lack of Concentration Weight Gain Craving Take a walk Take a hot bath Try relaxed breathing Take a nap Take a walk Use less caffeine, and not after 6 p.m. Take a long, warm bath Get some exercise during the day Plan your workload Take frequent breaks Work on one task at a time Drink lots of water Eat low fat foods Avoid fast food Take a walk Wait out the urge Exercise Distract yourself Remember these symptoms will fade within a few weeks!
How Can I Do It GetMedication and use it Correctly Medications can help you stop smoking and lessen the urge to smoke. All of these medications will increase your chances of quitting and staying tobaccofree! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved six medications to help you quit smoking: 1. Prescription Medications. 2. Nicotine gum - Over the counter. 3. Nicotine inhaler - By prescription only. 4. Nicotine lozenge - Over the counter. 5. Nicotine nasal spray - By prescription only. 6. Nicotine patch - Over the counter. Ask your health care provider for advice and carefully read the information on the package. Everyone who is trying to quit may benefit from using a medication. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, nursing, under age 18, smoking fewer than 10 cigarettes per day, or have a medical condition, talk to your doctor or other healthcare provider before taking medication.
What if you use tobacco again? If you slip, it s OK! Ask yourself, Why am I using tobacco right now? Is it withdrawal? Look for a better way to handle the discomfort. Is it stress or anger? Remember the Four D s. Take a walk or call your support person. Did someone offer you tobacco and you took it? Try to stay away from people with tobacco for a while. Don t let this slip set you back; just pick up where you were and continue being tobacco free. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or 1-800-784-8669 to speak to a cessation counselor to help you get back on track and become tobacco free!