Quit Smoking
The reasons to quit smoking are numerous. Smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of lung cancer, and is related to many other health issues. Smoking is estimated to kill between 4300 and 4700 New Zealanders each year. More smokers die from heart disease than any other cause.
How does smoking cause illness?
In relation to cardiovascular disease, smoking is linked to atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries), it reduces "good" blood cholesterol which transports fat away from artery walls, and raises blood pressure.
In relation to lung and other cancers, carcinogens (cancer causing agents) in tobacco cause damage to cells in the smoker’s body that, over time, can become cancerous.
Studies demonstrate that a person's risk of cardiovascular disease starts to decline very soon after they stop smoking. New Zealand's Cardiovascular Risk Guidelines state that the risk of heart attack or stroke is significantly reduced within 1 year of stopping, and reaches that of a non-smoker within 3-5 years. Lung cancer risk can also be reversed but it takes a lot longer - perhaps 10-15 years.
The impact of smoking on your life expectancy can be seen in the Southern Cross Health Test, alongside other heart-health risk factors.
According to the Cancer Society of New Zealand, smokers face three struggles:
- physical addiction to nicotine
- psychological need to smoke
- habits that surround smoking.
Various methods are available to help smokers quit.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
For smokers trying to kick a habit of more than half a packet of cigarettes a day, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) helps reduce withdrawal symptoms or a craving for nicotine. Pregnant or breastfeeding women or anyone with a medical condition – especially heart disease – should check with a doctor first.
Nicotine gum gives a hit of nicotine when you feel the need for a smoke, while nicotine patches are applied once a day to slowly release nicotine, which is absorbed through the skin. Over time, you're weaned off them by switching to a weaker strength.
Both the patches and gum, which are Government-subsidised for an eight-week course, are available through the Quitline (0800 778 778), and registered GPs and Maori health providers. Nicotine inhalers and nasal sprays, which are not subsidised, are available only on prescription.
No-nicotine herbal and homeopathic treatments
Designed to ease the physical craving for nicotine, the most common no-nicotine alternative contains a blend of menthyl valerate, quinine, camphor and oil of eucalyptus. Other homeopathic and herbal remedies are also sold through pharmacies and health shops.
Self-help books
Many people swear by the enormously successful Allen Carr's Easy Way To Stop Smoking, which has just published its twentieth-anniversary edition. Carr, who once smoked 100 cigarettes a day, takes the psychological approach, believing that smokers need to change their mindset and celebrate the rewards of being smoke-free, rather than focus on what they are "giving up".
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapists claim good results for helping even the most hardened smokers to quit and many offer a free initial consultation. A full course may require two or three sessions, costing from around $100 a visit.
Acupuncture
Although not supported by strong clinical evidence, acupuncture is widely offered as a stop-smoking therapy. Needles are generally inserted around the legs and ear lobes.
Support groups and counselling
The camaraderie, discipline and peer support of a stop-smoking course can be invaluable. The Quitline, which runs a phone-counselling service (0800 778 778), will have details of what courses are available in your area and how much they cost. One-on-one counselling with a psychologist is generally more expensive. For more details visit www.quit.org.nz.
Other advice to help you stop smoking
- Plan to stop on a particular date and stick to it
- Change to a low tar/nicotine brand a couple of weeks before your planned quit date
- Prior to quitting, postpone the lighting of your first cigarette by one hour
- Take it one day at a time – not smoking today is easier to think about than never smoking again
- Keep busy on the day you plan to stop – go to the movies or get outside and do some exercise
- List the benefits of being a non-smoker
- Make a pact with a friend to quit together
- Leave a full ashtray around – the sight and smell of stale butts will be unpleasant and will remind you how many you smoked.
How to stop smoking without putting on weight
The prospect of swapping one habit for another – giving up cigarettes and filling the gap with an overdose of potato chips and doughnuts – is an added worry that often puts smokers off quitting. Although some people might put on a few extra kilos, they usually lose them again in a few months. Others stay the same or may even lose weight.
Here are some tips from the Cancer Society of New Zealand on how to avoid over-eating after you go smoke-free:
- Avoid foods and drinks that you associate with having a cigarette
- Don't crash diet – any eating plan which makes you miserable and tired is unhealthy and will make it much harder to quit smoking
- If you're used to having a cigarette to mark the end of a meal, substitute it with something else, such as a drink of water, brushing your teeth, or eating a piece of fruit – otherwise, you may keep on eating
- Don't keep high-energy foods like chocolate, potato chips, cakes or biscuits on hand – they will just tempt you
- If you smoke while on the telephone, try doodling instead
Further Information and Support
Last reviewed – 20/6/08
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