ACS Offers Tips To Help Quit Smoking

On November 16, the American Cancer Society will hold its 30th annual Great American Smokeout. Every year, smokers across the nation take part in the Smokeout by smoking less or quitting for the day on the third Thursday of November. The event challenges people to stop using tobacco and raises awareness of the many effective ways to quit for good.

In many communities, local volunteers support quitters, publicize the event, and press for laws that control tobacco use and discourage teenagers from starting. Research shows that smokers are most successful in kicking the habit when they have some means of support, such as nicotine replacement products, counseling, prescription medicine to lessen cravings, guide books, and the encouragement of friends and family members. The ACS offers tips on how to quit.

Quit Tips From The

American Cancer Society

Make a Decision to Quit

+ First, decide why you want to quit--your family, children, your health or appearance.

+ You're not alone: according to the CDC, seven in 10 adult smokers in the U.S. say they want to quit. And you can use the money you save to take a family vacation, get a massage or buy a gym membership.

The American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout is Thursday, November 16; call 800- ACS-2345 for help or visit www.cancer.org/livefreesmokefree.

+ Why quit? Just 20 minutes after quitting, blood pressure drops to a level close to that before the last cigarette and the temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal. Eight hours after quitting, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. And 24 hours after quitting, your chance of heart attack decreases.

Prepare to Quit/Make a Plan

+ Pick a quit date and mark it on your calendar (November 16th-the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout-could be a good day).

+ Stand firmly by your date and mentally prepare yourself for it.

+ Decide whether it will benefit you to tell friends and family about your plan

+ Pick your method:

-Approximately 85 percent of smokers try "cold turkey"; most are not successful.

-The chance for success almost doubles by using an FDAapproved "quit smoking" therapy such as sprays, inhalers, nicotine patches or gum..

-Gradually reduce the number of cigarettes smoked each day.

+ Access to various online support groups, group or one-on-one counseling sessions, as well as telephone support hotlines, is available at the American Cancer Society. Call 800.ACS.2345 or visit www.cancer.org/livefreesmokefree to find out from others how they quit.

+ Why quit? Because lung cancer is the most preventable form of cancer. Smoking tobacco accounts for 87 percent of lung cancers and numerous other deadly ailments. Log onto www.cancer.org/livefreesmokefree to get started on your smoke free journey.

+ With the money you save, go fishing! You'll save enough for eight half-day fishing trips.

Follow Through

+ Remove or completely clean out all the ashtrays in your home, car or wherever you smoke, fill with sugar-free candy.

+ Find a substitute for the cigarette:

-Stock up on sugarless gum, carrot, celery or pretzel sticks or hard candy to help break the habit of smoking.

-Use a pen, toothpick or rubber band to keep your hands and mouth occupied.

-Avoid people and places that tempt you to smoke.

+ Quit now for better health. Why? Because nearly one in five deaths is related to smoking. Call 800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer. org/livefreesmokefree for more information on how you can choose to live a smoke-free life.

+ Think about it: with the money you save, you can buy a new plasma TV or two new Gucci bags and wallets--with extra money to fill them.

Alter Habits

+ If you tend to smoke with coffee or alcohol, drink water or juice instead.

+ Make a log of when you smoke and take notice of patterns of places, situations, occasions, or times when you smoke and change them/

+ A brisk walk or different route to work can help break your regular routine that includes smoking.

+ When stressed or frustrated, take a hot bath, get a massage or listen to calming music.

+ Don't be a statistic. Smoking is the Number 1 cause of preventable death in the country killing 440,000 a year. Call the American Cancer Society at 800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org/livefreesmokefree for help.

+ And if you smoke a pack a day and quit, you'll save more than $2,000 a year - enough for a weekend stay at a top-rated hotel or beach house rental for a week with plenty of spending money.

Keep Active

+ Try a new hobby, sport or activity, like yoga or meditation,

+ Clean up your home or office, work on a puzzle, take up scrap booking, photography or anything else to keep your hands and mind busy.

+ Cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined.

+ If you smoke a pack a day, you'd save more than $200 a month if you quit. You can use that money to buy a great bike, a gym membership or pay for a ski trip, complete with lift tickets, gear and spending money.

What to do if you get the urge:

+ Breathe deeply and picture your lungs filling with fresh, clean air.

+ Brush your teeth and savor the clean, fresh feeling.

+ Delay: wait at least 10 minutes or longer to light up.

+ Remind yourself of the money you're saving.

+ Reward yourself: buy yourself something you want or take a vacation with the money you save

+ Continually remind yourself of the numerous reasons you are trying to quit. In time, you will be able to handle these situations with more confidence.

Quitting makes sense and will save you dollars. Find out the best method for you. Log onto www.cancer.org/livefreesmokefree or call 800-ACS-2345 to get started.

Despite all these recommendations, of every seven current smokers, only one will report having tried any of the recommended therapies during his or her last quit attempt. Telephone quitlines are a convenient new resource, available for free in many states. Call 1-800- ACS-2345 to find a quitline or other science-based support in your area.

The Smokeout has helped bring about dramatic changes in Americans' attitudes about smoking, which have led to community programs and smoke-free laws that are now saving lives in many states. The event began in the 1970s when smoking and secondhand smoke were commonplace.

The idea for the Great American Smokeout grew out of a 1974 event. Lynn R. Smith, editor of the Moticello Times in Minnesota, spearheaded the state's first D-Day, or Don't Smoke Day. The idea may have been inspired by Arthur P. Mullaney of Randolph, Massachusetts, who three years earlier had asked people to give up cigarettes for a day and donate the money they would have spent on cigarettes to a high school scholarship fund.

The idea caught on, and on November 18, 1976, the California Division of the American Cancer Society successfully prompted nearly one million smokers to quit for the day. That California event marked the first Smokeout, and the Society took it nationwide in 1977.

Each year, the Great American Smokeout also draws attention to the deaths and chronic diseases caused by smoking. And throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, many state and local governments responded by banning smoking in workplaces and restaurants, raising taxes on cigarettes, limiting advertising, discouraging teen cigarette use, and taking further actions to counter smoking.

Those states with strong tobacco control laws are now reaping the fruits of their labor. They have markedly lower smoking rates and fewer people dying of lung cancer, according to a 2003 report in Cancer Causes and Control.

That study found lung cancer death rates among adults age 30- 39 were lower and falling in most states that had a strong anti-tobacco program. In states with weak tobacco control, lung cancer rates were higher and climbing.

Today, an estimated 45 million U.S. adults smoke. Tobacco use can cause lung cancer, as well as other cancers, heart disease, and lung disease. Smoking is responsible for 1 in 3 cancer deaths, and 1 in 5 deaths from all causes. Another 8.6 million people are living with serious illnesses caused by smoking. Fortunately, the past 30 years have seen tremendous strides in changing attitudes about smoking, in understanding the addiction, and in learning how to help people quit.

For more information, visit the American Cancer Society's Web pages about quitting smoking, improving your health or getting involved in the Great American Smokeout. Or just call the American Cancer Society at 1- 800-ACS-2345.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. The American Cancer Society Eastern Division has 46 community-based offices, involving thousands of volunteers throughout New York and New Jersey. For 24-hour cancer information, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.