| November is Great American Smokeout Month! |
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Click here to download our handout on Great American Smokeout Month! |
Make November 18th Your Quit Date!
Are you ready for 24 hours without cigarettes? That’s what the Great American Smokeout is all about. Even better, make this November 18th the day you quit for good! According to the American Cancer Society, there are a few key factors in quitting smoking successfully:
Making the Decision to Quit
The decision to quit tobacco use is one that only you can make. Others may want you to quit, but the real commitment must come from you.
Setting a Quit Date and Deciding on a Plan
According to the ACS, more Americans try to quit smoking on the day of the Great American Smokeout than any other day of the year! Give yourself enough time to prepare and come up with a plan.
Dealing With Withdrawal
Quitting tobacco takes a strong committment over a long period of time. Nicotine substitutes can help reduce withdrawal symptoms, but they are most effective when used as part of a comprehensive plan that addresses both the physical and psychological components of quitting.
Staying Quit (Maintenance)
Think ahead to those times when you may be tempted to smoke, and plan on how you will use alternatives and activities to cope with these situations. Unexpected desires to smoke can occur months or even years after you have quit, and preparedness is key.
Visit www.cancer.org for more information on the Great
American Smokeout, as well as smoking cessation resources!
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When Smokers Quit: The Health Benefits Over Time!
20 minutes after quitting:
Your heart rate and blood pressure drops.
12 hours after quitting:
The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting:
Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
1 to 9 months after quitting:
Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
1 year after quitting:
The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.
5 years after quitting:
Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting.
10 years after quitting:
The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker’s. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease.
15 years after quitting:
The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s.
For sources and more information on the health benefits of quitting, please visit www.cancer.org. |
How much do you know about smoking?
- True or False? Thirty years ago, smoking was legal in public buildings and enclosed theaters but not on domestic airline flights.
- False. Thirty years ago smoking was legal on domestic airline flights. Today, smoking is banned on all domestic flights in the United States.
- True or False? Lung cancer incidence and death rates have declined in men and stabilized in women.
- Within the first ___ hours of being smoke-free, a person's body will start repairing itself and his or her chances of having a heart attack begin to drop.
a. 12 b. 24 c. 36 d. 48
- b. Within the first 24 hours of being smoke free, a person's body will start repairing itself and his or her chances of having a heart attack begin to drop.
- True or False? The U.S. Surgeon General reported in June of 2006 that an estimated 126 million Americans are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes and workplaces, and that moderate levels of secondhand smoke are safe.
- False. The Surgeon General of the United States reported in June of 2006 that an estimated 126 million Americans are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes and workplaces, and that no level of exposure to secondhand smoke is safe.
- In one year, an ex-smoker will have saved more than $_____ if he or she spent four dollars per pack and smoked one pack every day.
a. $800 b. $1000 c. $1400 d. $2000
- b. In one year, an ex-smoker will have saved more than $1400 if he or she spent four dollars per pack and smoked one pack a day.
- In the United States, tobacco use is responsible for nearly ___ in ___ deaths.
a. 1 in 5 b. 2 in 5 c. 1 in 3 d. 1 in 2
- a. In the United States, tobacco use is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths; this amounted to an estimated 438,000 deaths each year between 1997 and 2001.
- True or False? Half of all Americans who continue to smoke will die from smoking-related diseases.
- True. On average, smoking reduces life expectancy by approximately 14 years. Smokers who quit before age 50 cut their risk of dying in the next 15 years in half, compared with those who continue to smoke.
- What remains the most preventable cause of death in our society?
a. car crashes b. drownings c. fires d. smoking-related diseases
- d. Since the first U.S. Surgeon General's report on smoking and health was published in 1964, there have been more than 12 million premature deaths attributable to smoking in the U.S.
Quiz courtesy of the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org)
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Smoking Cessation Resources
American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org
American Lung Association
www.lungusa.org
QUITNET
www.quitnet.com
SmokeFree.gov
www.smokefree.gov
BobQuits.com
www.bobquits.com
CDC Resources
www.cdc.gov/tobacco
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