But do what you must to quit smoking before it’s too late; especially for your cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory health. Quitting tobacco and exercising is a healthy combination, which will help you in staying fit and healthy for the rest of your life. Today, with the help of expert inputs from Dr. Prakash Chandra Gupta, Director of Healis – Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health, we take a look at how you can quit smoking and get fit today.

Quit plan. As with most activities, drawing up a plan and then following it, is the best technique for success. Cigarette smoking creates a chemical dependency wherein the body develops a need for a certain level of nicotine at all times due to which it is very important to have a set plan of action for quitting smoking. All aspects of your addiction should be considered before putting together a comprehensive fool-proof quit plan.

- Number of cigarettes smoked per day.
- Places preferred while smoking.
- Activities associated while cigarette smoking (Tea breaks, talking on phone, driving etc.).
- Number of smokers in your social circle/friends/family members.

Set a quit date. Once you have identified your addiction pattern and triggers, it’s time to set a quit date. One might want to choose a day to quit smoking that has an extra special meaning as it can make the act of quitting smoking even more successful. This can also serve as motivation.

Involve friends and family. Your social circles need to know that you are changing your habits so talk about your decision to quit and ask for their support – way ahead. This social group, like friends, family, work colleagues etc. can be extremely helpful and inspiring for successfully quitting the habit and keeping you motivated throughout the 12 week span.

Avail Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). The body begins to go through withdrawal symptoms when it is unable to get its daily dose of nicotine. People who are trying to quit tobacco usage experience various physical withdrawal symptoms like sweating, headache, nausea, constipation and other intestinal disorders. Also psychological withdrawal symptoms can be explained as irritability, anxiety, depression, frustration, insomnia or mental vagueness.

NRT products provide a small dose of therapeutic clean nicotine to the body which is sufficient to help control cravings for cigarettes and other withdrawal symptoms that smokers experience when they quit. This is a WHO recognized technique that provides a highly effective support system for helping to quit tobacco.

Research shows that it takes up to 12 weeks for the nicotine receptors in your brain to switch off when you quit, as tobacco dependence is caused by the very addictive drug, nicotine and its ability to produce pleasurable chemicals like (dopamine, endorphins, etc.). A complete course of NRT products taken up to 12 weeks can help the smoker break free from his addiction to embrace a healthier life. NRT products should be used as intended since it is a therapy that produces results when used properly.

Quitting tobacco for total fitness. Once an individual undergoes these 12 weeks therapy and quits smoking, he would be on his way to embrace a healthier life which would in turn have a positive effect on his entire physical system.

- Quitting tobacco helps in improving breathing functions. A better respiratory system equals to a higher stamina and thus, a better workout.
- Tobacco users tend to take a long time to recover from injuries and are more prone to illnesses. Ditching tobacco can improve your recovery time to injuries and also strengthen your immune system.
- High tobacco use can lead to poor blood circulation, along with easy fatigue, muscle weakness and reduced physical performance.
- One can also lead a stress-free life, after quitting tobacco. Thus, it helps in improving circulation and keeping you focused for exercising.
- Soon after you quit smoking, it is strongly recommended that you should start exercising. This will help in channelising your energy in a positive direction and thus, control urges.

The year 2012 may be the year to put down cigarettes for good. At least that’s what some people are thinking judging from an increase in usage for the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline-known to some as the Quit line. We spoke with Sjonna Paulson, Director of Communications for the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, by phone from her Oklahoma City office. “Recently, in November, we started a campaign called ‘Sooner Quit for Women’ and it’s around six Oklahoma women who quit and the reasons they quit,” she said.

She says anytime they begin a media blitz, with ads directing people to the Quit line, they see an increase. But, the “Women” campaign encouraged a great many.
“Those ads have been very popular. People are calling the Help Line, asking for help in quitting tobacco.”
Paulson told us one reason the Help Line attracts those who would potentially quit smoking is the many lines of attack. There’s free quit coaching, a free online component and a free two-week starter kit of patches, gum or lozenges.
But, one obvious reason people are calling right now is the New Year’s resolution.
“It’s always a great time to make those decisions to improve your health.”
The Help Line is funded by the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, with some funding from the Dept. of Health and the centers for Disease Prevention.

You want to quit smoking. You have heard that you will feel better and that you will be taking care of your health. You also know that quitting is not always easy. However, like anything it is a choice. A Southmont Jr. High School student has this to say about tobacco and how it affects relationships. She is writing from the heart. Here is Madison Wickholm’s letter.

Dear Mackenzie, I’ve known you for awhile now… You’ve given me the chance to baby-sit your kids and we have grown to have a strong relationship. If you would happen to die because of tobacco, I would miss you dearly. You are like my second Mom; I would do anything for you and you would do anything for me. You are one of my best friends. Your little kids, your family, me, and everyone who knows you would miss you a great deal if you died because of cigarettes.
If you keep smoking, really bad things will occur or start to happen. A couple of things that might happen are shortness of breath, cardiovascular disease, dizziness, colds, cancer, and even death. This habit is very deadly because it has so many deadly chemicals. Smoking is very addictive because of the nicotine used in it! Nicotine is very addictive and poisonous. It is a stimulant and a very powerful drug. Even if you think this isn’t hurting you, it’s hurting those around you. Infants and toddlers are hospitalized everyday because of secondhand smoke. Do they deserve that?
There is also the cost of cigarettes. If you quit smoking, you could have extra money every week. The average price for one pack is roughly about $5. You could save at least $35 a week if you stopped smoking. In a year’s time, this would save you $1,820. That is a lot of money that you could use for your kids.
The image that smoking gives is not one that anyone really wants. Maybe you’re a stressed out Mom, accountant, business woman, or teacher. You’re not allowed to smoke at work, so what do you do? You come home and smoke a lot of cigarettes to calm your nerves. The truth is that it’s been proven that smoking doesn’t make you any calmer. Some of the things you get with smoking are yellow teeth, droopy eyes, and that smoke smell. Also, your kids see you smoking and want to try it. For teens, smoking can lead to illegal drugs, and bad drinking habits.
Tobacco is a bad habit. I want to help you. When people tell you that you need to quit smoking, it doesn’t mean they are trying to make you perfect. It means they just want to help you fix your bad habit. Would you really buy a product if it said on the package: will cause heart attacks, stroke, bad breath, cancer and death!
I will help you get through the tough times and be there to distract you or encourage you not to smoke. I am a friend; I want to be there for you!
Madison Wickholm, 7 th grader, Southmont Jr. High School
Qutting smoking is probably the best thing you will ever do for your health. While quitting isn’t easy, more than 46 million Americans have done it and so can you! Call the Quit Smart Counselor right here in Montgomery County from 9 AM until 9 PM every weekday at 376-5832. Pick your quit day and get ready for a new smoke-free you!

The 36th annual Great American Smokeout is slated for Thursday, and the American Lung Association has teamed up with local health-care providers to offer support for those who decide to give up smoking for that 24-hour period — or better still, for good. The Great American Smokeout occurs every year on the third Thursday of November during Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

That’s a week before Thanksgiving, but on this particular Thursday it will be “cold turkey” for millions of Americans who will take a holiday from smoking — the habit that is America’s No. 1 preventable cause of death.
Breaking habit takes time
The American Cancer Society predicts that if this year’s participation is like previous ones, approximately one-third of America’s 46 million smokers will participate.

“It generally takes seven tries before you succeed at giving up smoking,” says Susan Lennon, educational outreach specialist for the American Lung Association in New York. She’s hoping that those who tried before will try again — and hopefully quit for good this time.

“Nicotine is a legal drug that’s hard to kick,” she says. “You can potentially take in nicotine all day long. With other drugs, even legal ones like alcohol, you eventually reach a point where you pass out and stop because you can’t take any more. Not so with cigarettes. That’s one reason that makes fighting such a foe so difficult.”

One deterrent to an all-day smoking binge is the price of a pack of cigarettes, Lennon says. The total state tax on cigarettes is now $4.35, pushing the average cost of a pack up to a price that leaves consumers breathless at point of purchase — $9.20.

“The state has raised $10.5 billion in tobacco revenues over the past six years, yet less than 4 percent of that money has been spent on tobacco control programs that help people quit,” says Lennon. “Limited funding for these programs means a decrease in coverage in the media that tells people where to go for help.”

Today, 15.5 percent of the population smokes — a rate that is lower than before and trending downwards.

443,000 deaths in US each year
But where there’s smoke, there is still plenty of reason to put out the fires, Lennon believes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking results in more than 443,000 premature deaths in the United States each year — about one in every five U.S. deaths — and an additional 8.6 million people suffer with a serious illness caused by smoking. For every one person who dies from smoking, 20 more suffer from at least one serious tobacco-related illness.

The CDC further reports that each year almost 50,000 nonsmokers die from diseases caused by second-hand smoke exposure.

Plus, Lennon says, from a financial perspective, smoking hurts everyone. “Annual smoking-related health-care costs and lost productivity in New York total $14.2 billion. Smokers average six times more visits to the doctor each year than a nonsmoker,” she says.

Most important, of the 2.5 million New Yorkers who still smoke, an estimated 70 percent say they wish they didn’t. That kind of call for help has the American Lung Association of New York on a mission to keep its grant program, POW’R Tobacco Center, alive in spite of a 50 percent funding cut over the past three years.

Serving four counties of the Lower Hudson Valley — Putnam, Orange, Westchester and Rockland — and funded by the New York state Department of Health Tobacco Program, POW’R works closely with health-care providers to keep them up to date about the treatment of tobacco dependence. It also familiarizes the public with the free resources available to assist patients eager to quit.

The American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout is coming up on Thursday, Nov. 17 and it’s a great day for a smoker to know that you won’t be alone in your efforts to quit smoking if you choose that day to quit. If you are ready to quit smoking and improve your health, make that day your quit day and try to stop at least for that twenty-four hour period, and then think about doing it for good.

People begin to smoke for a variety of reasons and it often takes a variety of reasons for them to decide to quit and a variety of methods to help them quit. It often takes many tries as well. I often see a billboard that says something to the effect that if you smoke you should never stop trying to quit. I often talk to people who say they have made many quit attempts using a variety of methods, sometimes more than once and finally they were able to stop smoking.

POMPEY legend Alan Knight is the face of a new group that hopes to help people kick the smoking habit. The former Portsmouth goalkeeper had been a smoker for the past 30 years. But three weeks ago he decided to stop and now he is urging others to do the same. The 50-year-old said: ‘I started smoking out of boredom and never stopped. ‘It was one of those things I knew I could have, just like alcohol. ‘But then I decided to quit earlier this month because I was getting a lot of chest infections.

‘It’s also an expensive habit – it can cost up to £7 for a packet of cigarettes. That adds up to a lot of money.’

Alan used to smoke around 20 cigarettes a day, but has been smoke-free since using a variety of nicotine replacement therapies.

From Tuesday a new eight-week programme called Kick The Habit with Alan will start.

The group is run by Solent NHS Trust’s PompeyQuit stop smoking service and the Pompey Sports and Education foundation, based in Fratton Park.

The sessions will give smokers the help and advice needed to quit. They will be offered free nicotine replacement products.

‘When I quit drinking it was much better being part of a group,’ added Alan.

‘If you’re talking to other people who are giving up as well, it helps a great deal.

‘I have been drink-free for three years now and the support at the start helped.

‘There are so many products out there to help with quitting – people should not give up on giving up.’

Each session takes place at the Portsmouth Study Centre, on Tuesdays, between 5pm and 6pm.

Alan will be attending the sessions, along with PompeyQuit advisor Sally Northeast.

She said: ‘It’s a well-known fact that you are four times more likely to quit with support.

‘Giving up smoking is the best thing that people can do for their health and it will help make the family budget stretch further.

‘Alan is a local legend who has battled a lot of things in his life.

‘He is now determined to quit smoking and to help the Pompey faithful kick the habit with him.’

Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death worldwide. Numerous studies have linked smoking to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, lung disease, and even erectile dysfunction. According to the World Health Organization, smoking is responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide (about 5 million deaths each year).

Considering the risks it is surprising that so many are still lighting up. Yet, kicking the habit is easier said than done. Nicotine is highly addictive and gives smokers a type of buzz that makes them feel good and want more cigarettes. Many smokers try to quit several times before they succeed.

The good news is that as soon as you stop smoking, your lungs, heart, and blood vessels start to heal and your risk of disease declines with time. You will notice that your food smells and tastes better, your clothing will no longer reek of smoke and others will notice that your breath is better. Plus think of the money you will save.

The first step toward success is to make up your mind that you want to quit. While family and society may be giving you a push, you have to want to quit, and be committed in order to succeed.

Here are tips to help you along:

1. Pick a date to quit so that you can mentally prepare yourself

2. Gradually cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke as you approach your quitting date

3. Change your routine. For example, if you woke up and had a cigarette with your coffee, break the association by going for a walk first and then have your coffee with breakfast

4. Put away ash trays, lighters and other reminders of smoking

5. Explore smoking cessation aids – nicotine is highly addictive and the withdrawal symptoms from stopping abruptly can be tough (headaches, irritability, insomnia, and depression)

– Gum and patches allow you to gradually wean off nicotine while reducing withdrawal effects. Both are effective, particularly when used with a support program

– Laser or acupuncture may help reduce cravings and curb withdrawal, but there is less research supporting efficacy

6. Consider supplements

– Theanine (an amino acid in green tea) is helpful for reducing stress and overcoming addiction

– Essential fatty acids are important for brain function and may help to reduce withdrawal symptoms

– B-vitamins and magnesium support the body during stress

7. Avoid being around people that smoke – temptation can kill the best intentions

8. Remind yourself of the health benefits of being smoke-free (greater energy, easier breathing, and reduced risk of many diseases). Post positive messages on your mirror, computer screen or fridge.

9.. If you feel fidgety or are missing the oral satisfaction that you got from smoking try chewing sugarless gum or nibbling on sunflower seeds

10. Choose healthy snacks such as nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit

11. If you feel anxious, go for a walk, have a warm bath, meditate, or do some light stretching exercises. Regular exercise can help reduce stress and anxiety and also help prevent weight gain

12. Reward yourself! Use the money that you save by quitting towards trips, movies, clothes or doing something special for yourself.

Quitting smoking is not easy but with strong determination and support you can succeed in kicking the habit. Focus on the health rewards, choose your support aids and make the commitment toward better health, energy and vitality.

If you would like to quit smoking, you will need to use every weapon in the armoury, but above all you ought to choose a key technique that you believe will work for you. This may be cold turkey, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, steady reduction or meditation. It is rather pointless to attempt acupuncture if you do not believe in it. There are two factors why it is difficult to quit smoking: psychological dependence and physical dependence and you have to tackle both of these fronts at the same time if you are to become successful.

The psychological addiction is frequently related to stress or so many smokers claim whilst the physical addiction can be as petty as not knowing what to do with your hands.

One of the most natural ways to deal with stress is meditation. It necessitates no tablets, no oils, nothing; only a blanket. Meditation may be carried out either in combination with exercise like Yoga or on its own. Meditation is one of the great stress-busters and may actually cure some illnesses through willpower alone according to ancient Indian scripts.

No doctors have ever ridiculed Yoga or meditation like they have acupuncture, aromatherapy and some of the other ‘alternative therapies’. It stands to reason that if meditation can relieve stress and stress is a grounds for smoking, that meditation can help you give up smoking too.

In the Developed World, we tend to think of gurus meditating in some contorted posture in the middle of a field, on a beach or on the top of a mountain. Although some people do meditate like this, it is a bit silly of to think that you have to. Most individuals in the West and in the East meditate quietly seated on a mat in the house or in the backyard.

You will need to buy a book or training video on yoga, meditation techniques and breathing exercises. Maybe you ought to do some research on Google first to see whether you are interested in yoga, but you ought to learn some breathing exercises because they can unwind you in seconds.

Before meditating it is customary to have a shower and brush your teeth et cetera. Then sit on a blanket in an airy space where you are not likely to get disturbed. Your book will almost certainly tell you to carry out some breathing exercises first.

The effects of this meditation session should last nearly all day, so it is a good idea to do one in the morning and one in the evening. Thirty minutes a session should be enough, but you will probably want to go on for longer. While you are in work, you will be able to ‘top up’ your calmness with a minute of breathing exercises as needed.

Meditation is the cheapest and most healthy method of quitting smoking and you will learn techniques that will help you for the remainder of your life. If you have to use nicotine patches and gum, there is no reason why you should not.

Over 7,100 people in B.C. are taking advantage of the new quit-smoking program offered by the government free of charge, and of that number, 1,523 live on Vancouver Island. Although there are no specific numbers for the Cowichan Valley itself, the medical health officer for the Central Island, Dr. Paul Hasselback, hopes more people will use the program given that the odds are not in favour of those who continue to light up.

“About 50 per cent of smokers themselves will die as a result of their habit, that’s huge,” he said. “There are many things they can do to help themselves quit and when they quit, the risk from those diseases likes lung cancer and heart disease goes down almost immediately.”

Hasselback pointed out that about one per cent–some 30 to 40,000 people in British Columbia quit smoking every year. He hopes the government’s nicotine replacement therapies (NRT), the patch and gum, will increase that number dramatically this year.

“A program of this nature, if it even doubled that, would make a huge, huge difference to beating the fight against the devastating impacts of tobacco.”

Residents can also get prescription drugs for free if they’re registered in a PharmaCare plan.

Although B.C. has the lowest rate in the country, nearly half a million people, about 14 per cent of adults in the province, still smoke.