|
September 19, 2012
Helping smokers start quitting
You can get help—and learn to help others—with quitting smoking. |
When it comes to good health, peer pressure can be a positive thing. For example more than 55 per cent of smokers who quit have influenced someone else to quit.
Former smoker Dan N.*, from Wyoming, says that since quitting he can't help but tell smokers his quitting story. Dan finds that being a non-smoker is liberating.
Another former smoker, Joe M.* from New Hampshire, was influenced by his wife to quit. She quit three years before Joe did and was committed to making their home smoke free. Out of respect for his wife, Joe stopped smoking in the house, but the smell followed him inside. Finally, he realized that since his wife was no longer his smoking partner, it was time for him to quit.
It's not generally easy but it can be done: The average smoker tries to quit six to nine times in their lifetime. In fact, Dan had multiple quit attempts, but was only able to quit smoking after seeking help from his doctor and being dedicated to making a lifestyle change. Dan found that he benefited from a prescription medication, a quit-smoking support program, and counseling.
If you are a smoker who has tried to quit, or have a friend or family member whom you would like to encourage to quit, you may be glad to learn there's help online. One website, called PassQuitOn, which is sponsored by Pfizer, provides useful tools to help jump-start a smoker's quit plan and offers resources for friends and family members to encourage smokers to quit. It also offers information on a prescription treatment option and money saving offers.
Here a free "Quit Kit" is provided for smokers, which includes motivational videos and a customizable quit plan. The kit is designed to help smokers stay motivated through their journey. The quit plan includes:
• Tips on how to increase a smoker's chances of quitting by using "quit cards"
• Quit plans which help map out a smoker's day-to-day activities and awareness of times during the day that are most risky for them and why
• Encouragements for smokers to allow them to track their successes
Quitting can be particularly tough for those who have been smoking for a large part of their life. Joe's wife had a powerful ability to inspire and encourage her husband to quit. You can also inspire loved ones by encouraging them to visit the website. Joe quit smoking after almost five decades with the encouragement of his wife and the help of his doctor. Now, Joe says that he loves that he is able to go out and travel more with his wife without having to plan around smoke breaks.
You can also try to help by suggesting these five common quit strategies:
1. Identify smoking risk situations. Part of preparing to quit smoking is knowing what these situations may be. Be aware of specific times of day, people, places and feelings that may trigger an urge to smoke.
2. Create a cigarette-free zone. Go through every place cigarettes may be kept in the home and get rid of them. Check the kitchen, bedroom, laundry room, garage, and living room for cigarettes. Also, be sure to clean the house to remove any smell of smoke.
3. Get past urges. Some simple ways to create distractions at times when someone would normally smoke, include playing a game on a cell phone or calling a friend, organizing one's wallet or desk, taking a quick walk or writing a letter to someone.
4. Create an emergency kit. A kit is something to turn to help make healthier choices if there is an urge to smoke. Some things to pack in the emergency kit are: a small bottle of water, a pack of sugarless gum, a small pack of toothpicks or coffee stirrers to chew on and a healthy snack.
5. Add up successes. Calculate the money and time saved since being smoke free.
So remember, if you are or know a smoker, you can take a step toward committing to a smoke-free lifestyle.
* These patients have agreed to share their quit stories, in response to a request by Pfizer for patients to share their story.
—North American Precis Syndicate Inc.
|
E-mail this to a friend
Printer-friendly version
