The American Lung
Association developed the Quit Smoking Action
Plan under the guidance of experts on cigarette
smoking. It offers specific recommendations for selecting a personalized plan to free yourself
of cigarettes and stay that way.
To help you
better understand your options, the material is presented in the following 3
Steps of a Quit Smoking Action Plan:
The American
Lung Association also offers an on-line version of Freedom From Smoking®, at www.ffsonline.org.
It is a useful tool in quitting smoking and is free to www.lungusa.org visitors.
A Deadly Combination: Addiction and Behavior
Nicotine
is a powerful drug that raises mood, reduces anxiety, and, in those accustomed
to it, increases alertness. Over time, it causes changes in smokers’ brains
that make them need nicotine. Then, when they try to quit, smokers have
unpleasant symptoms such as irritability, craving for cigarettes or difficulty
concentrating.
An additional obstacle to
quitting is the many daily behavior patterns that smokers may not even realize
they have, such as morning or before-bed cigarette routines, or smoking with
friends, co-workers or spouses. Each person’s smoking behavior is different,
but these established patterns link smoking to many activities of daily life.
People who are fairly
dependent on cigarettes need to incorporate multiple sources of help in their
quitting plan to maximize their odds of success. Those less dependent on
cigarettes may be successful by using only a few sources of help. However, the
more help you have, the better your chances of quitting and staying smoke-free.
STEP #1: Preparing to Quit - What You Need to
Do
1.
Identify your
personal reasons for quitting.
2.
Set a quit
date, usually within 10 days to several weeks. If you smoke mostly at work, try
quitting on a weekend. If you smoke mostly when relaxing or socializing, quit
on a week day.
3.
Identify your
barriers to quitting (such as your spouse smokes or you’ve relapsed before due
to depression or weight gain). You’ll find sources of help in this booklet to
overcome these barriers.
4.
Make SPECIFIC
plans AHEAD OF TIME for dealing with temptations. Identify two or three coping
strategies that work for you (such as taking a walk or calling a friend).
5.
Get
cooperation from family and friends. They can’t quit for you but they can help
by not smoking around you, providing a sympathetic ear and encouragement when
you need it and leaving you alone when you need some space.
STEP #2: Using Medications - What You Need To
Know
When you smoke a
cigarette, a high concentration of nicotine enters your body rapidly and
travels to your brain. Nicotine medications provide you with a safer alternative
source of nicotine that enters the body less rapidly and in a lower
concentration than cigarettes. Unlike cigarettes, which contain thousands of
harmful chemicals, nicotine medications contain small doses
of nicotine alone to combat cravings and urges to smoke.
Depending on the
medication you use, you may need a prescription. As with any medication,
consult the package directions or your pharmacist before using. If you are
pregnant, consult your physician; if you are taking other medications, consult
the doctor who prescribed them or your pharmacist.
Your goal in using
nicotine medication is to stop smoking completely. Learn to use correctly the
medication you choose.
STEP #3: Staying Smoke-Free - What You Need
To Remember
After quitting and getting
through the first couple of weeks, staying off cigarettes is critical—and not
always easy. Research indicates that continued support and encouragement from
health providers, family, friends and other sources are extremely helpful.
Your friends and family
won’t automatically know how to encourage you. Talk to them ahead of time about
what they can do.
The average person makes
two to four attempts at quitting before they are able to stay smoke-free. If
you return to smoking, it doesn’t mean you can’t quit. It just means you need
to try again by figuring out what caused you to slip and improving your plan
for next time.
Some smokers wrongly
believe they can reduce their health risks and continue to smoke by
substituting other forms of tobacco. Low tar/nicotine cigarettes are not safer
than cigarettes, nor do they reduce your risk of smoking-related disease.
Smokeless tobacco, pipes and cigars also are not safe.
Quit Smoking Clinics in
Freedom From Smoking
clinics are conducted on a continuing basis in