Thinking About Quitting?

This brochure can be of help to smokers who are thinking about or are ready to quit smoking.  It contains a listing of programs and services, many of them free, that smokers can utilize for information and support.  Quitting smoking is not easy, but it can be done—many millions of Americans have stopped—and it could be the most important thing you will ever do for your health.

Health Benefits of Quitting

• People who quit smoking live longer than those who continue to smoke.
• Quitting smoking decreases the risk of man diseases, including lung and other cancers, heart disease, stroke, ulcers, chronic lung diseases, and respiratory illness.
• Your body begins to heal itself rapidly when you quit smoking. Levels of carbon monoxide and nicotine decline, sense of taste and smell improve, and breathing becomes easier, all within 72 hours.
• Women who quit smoking before becoming pregnant or within the first 3-4 months of pregnancy reduce the risk of giving birth to premature and/ or low birth rate infants.

Books

There are many good books about smoking and smoking cessation. Check your local bookstore and library. Here are just a few examples:

• The No-Nag, No-Guilt, Do-It-Your-Own-Way Guide to Quitting Smoking, by Tom Ferguson, MD
• Smoking for Two: Cigarettes and Pregnancy, by Peter A. Fried

Smoking Facts

• In the United States, cigarette smoking alone causes approximately 30% of cancer deaths and a total of 438,000 premature deaths annually.
• Tobacco will kill 50% of young persons who start smoking early and keep it up.  Half of these people will die in middle age, losing an average of 22 years of normal life expectancy.
• 48% of US adults who ever smoked cigarettes have stopped smoking.

Quit Tips

• Don’t be discouraged if your first attempts to quit aren’t successful.  Many smokers have to try several times before quitting permanently.
• No one approach is right for everyone.  Experiment with different ones until you find the one that works for you.
• Set a quit date and stick to it.  Try to choose a time where outside stresses will be minimized.
• Add walking or other exercise to your daily routine.
• Eat regular meals to keep your blood sugar even.  Hunger may increase the urge to smoke.
• Avoid or limit sugar, alcohol and caffeine, which can also increase the urge to smoke. 
• Drink lots of water.
• When the urge to smoke comes, breathe deeply for a few minutes.
• Put the money you would have spent on cigarettes in a jar each day you don’t smoke, and use that money to buy a reward for yourself.
• Enjoy being a non-smoker!

Web Sites

• National Cancer Institute
• Quitline Iowa
• Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Boston University School of Public Health
• National Center for Tobacco Free Kids

Resources for Smokers in the Iowa City/Coralville Area

There are several private practitioners in the area who offer a variety of smoking cessation services, including hypnosis, acupuncture, chiropractic and health counseling.  Consult your phone book for a complete listing.  Fees may vary.                                                                                     Compiled Summer 2006

This guide neither recommends nor endorses any specific resource on this list.  Information is provided as a service and consumers are urged to make their own judgments