Smoking Cessation

 All materials are sourced from the QUITbook except for the images which are from various websites.

Quit because you can

Smoking Kills

Every year, about 19,000 Australians die from diseases caused by smoking. One in two lifetime smokers will die from their addiction. Half of these deaths will occur in middle age.

Cigarettes are full of poisons

Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals. As well as tar and nicotine, there is also the gas carbon monoxide (car exhaust fumes), ammonia (floor cleaner) and arsenic (rat poison).

Cancer

At least 69 of the chemicals in tobacco smoke are known to cause cancer.

Your blood

Every cigarette you smoke temporarily increases your heart rate and blood pressure, and narrows the small blood vessels under your skin. It slows your blood flow, reducing oxygen to your feet and hands. Your fingers and toes become colder.

All cigarettes are toxic

It doesn’t help if you smoke weaker tasting cigarettes such as those labelled ‘fine’, ‘smooth’ or ‘refined’. These cigarettes have holes in the filter that let in air to dilute the smoke. But you still end up inhaling the same amount of chemicals as you would from stronger tasting cigarettes. So you do the same amount of damage.

Smoking causes disease- a good reason to quit

Emphysema

Lung Cancer

Heart Disease & Strokes

Babies

Fact 1: 12 hours after stopping, almost all nicotine is out of your system. In about 5 days, most nicotine by-products have gone.

Fact 2: Within a day of quitting, the level of carbon monoxide in your blood has dropped dramatically. Your body can take up and use oxygen more easily.

Fact 3: After eight weeks without smoking, your immune system improves.

Know why you smoke:

All smokers have their own smoking habits which are usually tied to certain moods, activities, events, places or people. They may be quite strong bonds.

Addiction: To satisfy the craving

Emotions: Feeling stressed, upset, angry, frustrated, bored or happy

Pleasure: To enjoy something even more or to reward yourself

Social pressure: Feeling part of the crowd

Habit: Feeling like smoking while doing things or taking a break

Plan ways to deal with quitting

Phone a QUITline

Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or other health professional

Explore Quitting products

Gather information

Make a Quitting Plan

Find a Quitting Partner

Get help from friends and family

SET A DATE TO QUIT

Coping with cravings

Few smokers can quit without feeling the urge or desire to smoke. The first week after you quit can be the hardest, as cravings can be more frequent and intense.

Ways to deal:

Using quitting products

Changing your environment

Using coping thoughts

Changing what you do

Resources:

Smoking & Cardiovascular Diseases

Resources:

All About Smoking

Graphic Health Warnings

In short…

SMOKING = DEATH