Are you ready to quit smoking?
Q. Why is it so hard for me to quit smoking?
A. I hear from many people who have been successful in quitting smoking, and those who have quit many times only to go back to the habit. The true hazardous substance is nicotine and its effect on your body.
Nicotine is a drug naturally found in tobacco plants, and it is as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Smokers wanting to quit must overcome their body’s physical and mental dependence on nicotine.
Q. How long does nicotine stay in my body?
A. Whether you inhale your own tobacco smoke or secondhand smoke, it goes deep into your lungs and is rapidly absorbed by your bloodstream. Most regular smokers can expect to have nicotine in their bodies for 3-4 days after quitting. Nicotine affects your heart, blood vessels, hormones, metabolism and your brain. It even turns up in mothers’ breast milk and in the cervical mucous of female smokers. Pregnant women easily carry the nicotine to their unborn babies through amniotic fluid and the blood in their umbilical cord.
The good news is that health benefits of quitting smoking begin almost immediately. Your heart rate and blood pressure drops within 20 minutes, and the carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal within 12 hours. You should notice gradual improvements over the first year of quitting, and your risk of developing coronary heart disease is cut in half one year after quitting. The lung cancer death rate is cut in half after 10 years, and after 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease will return to that of a non-smoker.
Q. How can I get over the mental addiction of nicotine?
A. Many healthcare providers can alert you to a smoking cessation group, and many county health departments sponsor a tobacco-free coalition with the American Cancer Society. All 50 states also operate a telephone-based program that is free and connects those trying to quit smoking with trained counselors. All of these resources can aid in finding a support group or other program that may be of help to you, and in many cases host classes in smoking cessation. (Call 281-2745, ext. 22 to receive information on local cessation resources or call Indiana’s toll-free tobacco quitline at (800) QUIT-NOW). Medications are also available to combat withdrawal symptoms.
Q. What should I look for in a smoking cessation program?
A. Support groups provide encouragement in successfully quitting smoking and can help with many of the social and emotional obstacles smokers face in quitting. Generally, the more intense the program (often how long counseling lasts), the greater its rate of success. A good rule of thumb is a program with multiple sessions — at least four to seven — of counseling or group therapy of 20-30 minutes. A desired program should last for two weeks or more, and should be led by someone who is trained in smoking cessation.
Watch out for groups that promise instant or effortless success or use injections, pills or other “pharmaceutical” remedies. Less ethical programs might charge an exorbitant fee or be unwilling to provide references.
Wanting to quit is the first step in breaking your addiction to nicotine. Good luck.
Sara Lynn is the wellness coordinator at Ball Memorial Hospital. For more information, send an e-mail to info@chsmail.org or call (765) 747-3111.
