by Dr. Gregory Hall
Bentley College
Cigarette smoking and other tobacco addictions such as chewing tend to start during adolescence for most Americans. One's reasons for taking up the habit include a need for acceptance by peers, a desire to act like an adult and a demonstration of one's independence. However, our reasons for continuing to smoke are quite different. Our peer group may be smokers, making it difficult to quit. We may find smoking enjoyable despite the health risks, cost, yellowing teeth and smelly clothes. We may feel that we lack the discipline and self-control necessary to stop smoking.
Nevertheless, you are here, right on this page...something motivated you to check out this page! Think about it, does smoking really make any sense? Yes, it is tough to quit. But why? Consider the following:
- Cigarettes are highly addictive physically. Of the thousands of chemicals... you read it right thousands... in each cigarette, the culprit most responsible for your addiction is nicotine, which stimulates the central nervous system.
- Cigarettes are psychologically addictive. You've seen the advertisements associating smoking with everything from sex appeal to social enjoyment and peer acceptance.
- Cigarettes are part of the scene, at parties, clubs, in between class and at other social occasions. The temptation will always be staring you in the face.
- Smoking relaxes you, alleviates the stress of exams, friends, other hassles and daily annoyances.
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Well, there you have it, a few of the many reasons why quitting is hard to do! You see, as you contemplate quitting, you must deal with it realistically. Simply having the desire to stop smoking is but the first step. Here are some other tips to consider as you consider giving up smoking.
Having a plan will significantly increase your opportunity for success. Check out
www.quitnet.org.
Prepare yourself for nicotine withdrawal. The nicotine patch, nicotine inhalers, nicotine sprays and nicotine gum are all designed to ease the discomfort of withdrawal. Make sure you have support from your friends. Have an open and honest conversation with a couple of friends. Ask for their active support.
Freedom From SmokingŪ Online
The American Lung Association's popular smoking cessation program is
now available on www.lungusa.org!
Congratulations on taking a vital step to improve your health!
Quitting smoking can evoke a lot of feelings: fear, resentment, relief, and
so on. If you stay committed to the program and
complete all of the assignments
you have a good chance of remaining smoke-free for
good. Millions of people have
quit smoking and you can do it too!
Find out more about Freedom From SmokingŪ Online by reading the
Program Overview. |
For additional information and support try:
The American Cancer Society
1-800-ACS-2345
cancer.org
