Question: Why should I quit?

2. Frequently Asked Questions about Quitting Smoking Question: Why should I quit? Answer: You will live longer and feel better. Quitting will lower your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or cancer. The people you live with, especially children, will be healthier. If you are pregnant, you will improve your chances of having a healthy baby. And you will have extra money to spend on things other than cigarettes. Question: What is the first thing I need to do once I’ve decided to quit? Answer: You should set a quit date-the day when you will break free of your tobacco addiction. Then, consider visiting your doctor or other health care provider before the quit date. She or he can help by providing practical advice and information on the medication that is best for you. Question: What medication would work best for me? Answer: Different people do better with different methods. You have five choices of medications that are currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: A non-nicotine pill (bupropion SR). Nicotine gum. A nicotine inhaler. A nicotine nasal spray. Nicotine patch. The gum and patches are available at your local pharmacy, or you can ask your health care provider to write you a prescription for one of the other medications. The good news is that all five medications have been shown to be effective in helping smokers who are motivated to quit. Question: How will I feel when I quit smoking? Will I gain weight? Answer: Many smokers gain weight when they quit, but it is usually less than 10 pounds. Eat a healthy diet, stay active, and try not to let weight gain distract you from your main goal—quitting smoking. Some of the medications to help you quit may help delay weight gain.

3. Question: Some of my friends and family are smokers. What should I do when I’m with them? Answer: Tell them that you are quitting, and ask them to assist you in this effort. Specifically, ask them not to smoke or leave cigarettes around you. Question: What kinds of activities can I do when I feel the urge to smoke? Answer: Talk with someone, go for a walk, drink water, or get busy with a task. Reduce your stress by taking a hot bath, exercising, or reading a book. Question: How can I change my daily routine, which includes smoking a cigarette with my breakfast? Answer: When you first try to quit, change your routine. Eat breakfast in a different place, and drink tea instead of coffee. Take a different route to work. Question: I like to smoke when I have a drink. Do I have to give up both? Answer: It’s best to avoid drinking alcohol for the first 3 months after quitting because drinking lowers your chances of success at quitting. It helps to drink a lot of water and other nonalcoholic drinks when you are trying to quit. Question: I’ve tried to quit before and it didn’t work. What can I do? Answer: Remember that most people have to try to quit at least 2 or 3 times before they are successful. Review your past attempts to quit. Think about what worked—and what didn’t—and try to use your most successful strategies again. Question: What should I do if I need more help? Answer: Get individual, group, or telephone counseling. The more counseling you get, the better your chances are of quitting for good. Programs are given at local hospitals and health centers. Call your local health department for information about programs in your area. Also, talk with your doctor or other health care provider.

4. Good Information for Smokers When you quit: • Your chances of getting sick from smoking will be less. • You will have more energy and breathe easier. • If you are pregnant, your baby will get more oxygen and be healthier. • The people you live with, especially your children, will be healthier. Breathing in other people's smoke can cause asthma and other health problems. • You will have more money to spend on things other than cigarettes.

5. Smokeles Some people, especially girls, start smoking because they think it may help keep their weight down. The illnesses that smoking can cause, like lung diseases or cancer, do cause weight loss - but that's not a very good way for people to fit into their clothes! Another reason people start smoking is because their family members do. Most adults who started smoking in their teens never expected to become addicted. That's why people say it's just so much easier to not start smoking at all. The cigarette ads from when your parents were young convinced many of them that the habit was glamorous, powerful, or exciting - even though it's essentially a turnoff: smelly, expensive, and unhealthy. Cigarette ads from the 1940s even showed doctors recommending cigarettes as a way to relax! Cigarette ads still show smokers as attractive and hip, sophisticated and elegant, or rebellious and cool. The good news is that these ads aren't as visible and are less effective today than they used to be: Just as doctors are more savvy about smoking today than they were a generation ago, teens are more aware of how manipulative advertising can be. The government has also passed laws limiting where and how tobacco companies are allowed to advertise to help prevent young kids from getting hooked on smoking.

6. Kicking Butt and Staying Smoke Free All forms of tobacco - cigarettes, pipes, cigars are hazardous. It doesn't help to substitute products that seem like they're better for you than regular cigarettes - such as filter or low-tar cigarettes. The only thing that really helps a person avoid the problems associated with smoking is staying smoke free. This isn't always easy, especially if everyone around you is smoking and offering you cigarettes. It may help to have your reasons for not smoking ready for times you may feel the pressure, such as "I just don't like it" or "I want to stay in shape for soccer" (or football, basketball, or other sport). The good news for people who don't smoke or who want to quit is that studies show that the number of teens who smoke is dropping dramatically. Today, only about 22% of high school students smoke, down from 36% just 7 years ago.

7. If you do smoke and want to quit Different approaches work for different people - for some, quitting cold turkey is best, whereas others find that a slower approach is the way to go. Some people find that it helps to go to a support group especially for teens; these are sometimes sponsored by local hospitals or organizations like the American Cancer Society. And the Internet offers a number of good resources. Check out some of these by clicking on the Resources tab to the right of this article. When quitting, it can be helpful to realize that the first few days are the hardest, and it's normal to have a few relapses before you manage to quit for good. Staying smoke free will give you a whole lot more of everything - more energy, better performance, better looks, more money in your pocket, and, in the long run, more life to live!