How to Stop Smoking Today

If you're determined to quit smoking, good for you. But don't make it any harder on yourself than necessary by going cold turkey on your own - here's help.

    The American Cancer Society reports that about half of all smokers die from an illness related to smoking. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention, men who smoke typically cut their life short by 13.2 years, and for women it’s 14.5 years. Smoking-related illness can also impact your quality of life. Why wait to quit?

Quit Smoking: Reasons to Stop Today 

You know smoking is a health risk. Here are the health problems it contributes to:

1. Cancer. Besides lung cancer, you can develop cancer of the mouth, larynx (voice box), pharynx (throat), esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, and stomach, and some forms of leukemia.
2. Lung diseases. Pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, are also brought on by smoking.
3. Stroke, heart attack, and blood vessel diseases. You're twice as likely to die from a heart attack if you smoke. You’re also at risk for peripheral vascular disease, the narrowing of your blood vessels.
4. Blindness. Smokers have a greater risk of developing macular degeneration, which causes most cases of blindness.

Also, women over 35 who smoke and use birth control pills have a greater risk of heart attack, stroke, and blood clots in their legs. Female smokers also have a greater risk of miscarriage and having low birth-weight babies.

Quit Smoking: What's Your “Pack Years” Number? 

    One way to determine your risk of getting a smoking-related disease is by calculating your pack years. Multiply the number of packs you smoke per day by the number of years you have smoked. For example, if you smoke 30 cigarettes a day (1.5 packs) for three years, that’s 4.5 pack years. The more pack years you have, the greater the health risk.

But once you quit smoking, the numbers start to change in your favor.

• Just 20 minutes after you stop smoking, your blood pressure and heart rate drop.
• In 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your body is back to normal.
• In 2 weeks to 3 months, your lung function increases.
• In 1 to 9 months, your smoker's cough and shortness of breath decrease.
• In 1 year, your increased risk of heart disease is half of what it was when you smoked.
• In 5 years, your stroke risk declines to that of a non-smoker.
• In 10 years, your chances of dying from lung cancer are cut in half.
• In 15 years, your risk of heart disease is on a par with somebody who doesn't smoke.

Quit Smoking: Personal and Social Benefits 

    Besides the health benefits, quitting means your breath, hair, and clothes will smell better. The taste of food and smell of flowers will delight you. And, you won't feel the social implications, worrying about when and where it'll be okay to light up.

One last reason to stop smoking: money. At $5 and more per pack, quitting a pack a day habit will save you at least $1,825 every year.

Quit Smoking: Keys to Success 

Most people who stop smoking permanently say there are four key factors that lead to success:

• Making the decision to quit
• Setting a date and choosing a plan
• Dealing with withdrawal
• Changing habits to maintain success

Sticking to these four points works: Some 45 million people have quit smoking in the United States alone. Many didn’t make it the first time around, so don’t despair if you’ve tried before. You can do it, just as they did.

Quit Smoking: The Psychological Challenge 

You may be able to toss the pack and say goodbye to smoking on your own, but most people need outside help. For the mental part of ending a smoking addiction, you can tap into these resources:

• Telephone counseling services are available in all states. The American Cancer Society's Quitline tobacco cessation program will connect you with a trained counselor.
• Get support from family, friends, and groups. Tell them what you're doing and ask for moral support. You can also try Nicotine Anonymous, a support group with a long-term approach to quitting. (Watch out for gimmicky programs that promise instant results, those that push pills or injections, and programs that are extremely expensive.)
• Online help is 24/7. There are great Internet resources for you, starting with Everyday Health’s Smoking Cessation Center.

Learn more about disease prevention.

Quit Smoking: The Physical Challenges 

    As for the physical challenges of giving up smoking, there are a variety of nicotine replacement products, ranging from gum to patches, that work by reducing your cravings and withdrawal symptoms. But they're only meant to be used for a few months at most.

If you feel like you need help longer term, ask your doctor about medications, such as Zyban (bupropion) or Chantix (varenicline), which can reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

    You also might want to check out alternative methods for quitting, such as acupuncture or herbs, but the Cancer Society reports that there is no solid scientific proof that they work.

About 4 to 7 percent of smokers successfully quit on their own, but results are much better if you put together a support plan that addresses all of the immediate side effects of stopping smoking. And the best news: Long-term motivation to stay away from tobacco will soon come from within, once you start feeling healthier and happier about this life-saving step you’ve taken.