If you smoke cigarettes, you probably want to quit and have tried quitting. Maybe you even quit for a while and started up again.
Millions have quit permanently. You can too. Yes, you can quit smoking.
It’s a fact that the majority of “adults who have ever smoked cigarettes have quit” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,[1] which also states that the majority of current smokers want to quit, citing various sources for its information.
By quitting, you can save money and improve your health.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration[2] citing various sources notes that it may take multiple attempts to quit smoking, noting that many of the negative symptoms you feel after quitting “should only last a few weeks.” The same webpage states that former smokers may “find that certain, places, occasions, and behaviors . . . can bring up an urge to smoke even after withdrawal symptoms have ended.”
Phone Numbers for Help
For help quitting, in the U.S. you can phone a toll free number listed on the Centers for Disease Control website[3]: 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). The Cancer.Net website[4] lists three other phone numbers to call for help quitting, in addition to this one, as well as other resources.
When you quit, keep these phone numbers handy to contact if you face temptation. Also, maybe have one or more friends, relatives, coworkers, and/or others you can reach for support.
Over 100 Reasons to Quit
“More than 100 reasons to quit tobacco” are discussed in a Pan American Health Organization article.[5]
Benefits of Quitting
You probably already know numerous health benefits from quitting. These benefits of quitting smoking begin minutes after you quit and increase over the days, months, and years, as discussed on an American Cancer Society webpage “Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking Over Time.”[6] A MedicinePlus.gov article[7] “Benefits of quitting tobacco” uses various sources (including the American Cancer Society) to discuss the benefits in even more detail.
Another benefit is the money you save by quitting. WorldPopulationReview.com[8] states that in 2022 the average price per pack of cigarettes in the U.S. is $8.00. If you smoke one pack a day at that price, it adds up to $2,920 a year. Smokers, think of what you could do if you had that money to spend on something else.
One (perhaps minor) benefit is not having to find a place to dispose of cigarette butts. As I walk around, cigarette butts seem to be the human litter item I see most. The May 18, 2022 photo below of cigarette butts in Phoenix Park here in Lexington, Kentucky where I live is just one example.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website lists some helpful resources on “How to Quit Smoking.”[9] Smokefree.gov[10] also lists useful tips on quitting smoking.
So do other sources. Choose the one(s) that you feel will work best for you.
Some Keys to Quitting
(1) Motivation: One key to successfully quitting is motivation. If you are motivated to quit, determined to do it, you can. The source of the motivation could be:
• Religious faith: Help from the higher power of God can be key. Franklin Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham, tells in his 1997 autobiography Rebel With a Cause how God enabled him to quit smoking cold turkey. Even if you’re not Billy Graham’s son, prayer, study of inspirational religious materials, support of a church (or synagogue or mosque), etc., are helpful.
• Urging from others: A spouse, child, or grandchild who doesn’t want to breathe secondhand smoke and/or doesn’t want you to die may beg you to stop. If your child complains about the smoke in the home, or tearfully says he/she doesn’t want you to die early, that my inspire you. Indeed, cigarette smokers have a shorter life expectancy by over ten years compared to nonsmokers, according to a journal article published in the New England Journal of Medicine.[11]
• Money: As stated earlier, smoking one pack a day at $8 per pack costs $2,920 per year. And some smokers smoke two, three, or even four packs a day.
• Work: Smokers often miss more work due to smoking-related health reasons and may take more frequent breaks than nonsmokers. Furthermore, if you’re distracted thinking about your craving for a cigarette, you may be more likely to make a mistake that hampers your job performance and potentially puts you and/or others at risk.
• Other reasons: If you have another motivation, reflect on it.
(2) Support: You may be more successful quitting if you get help from one or more relatives, friends, coworkers, support phone numbers, websites, etc. Earlier, this article listed some of these sources. There are many more you can find via a Google search and other sources.
(3) Don’t give up: When faced with temptation to smoke, try something that helps you fight off the urge. Maybe chew gum, take a walk, read a good book, listen to music you enjoy, phone a friend or a support group, etc. Maybe list some ways that you think will work for you in advance of quitting.
(4) Try again: If you fail in your first attempt (or second, third, or whatever), keep trying. Most smokers try multiple times before successfully quitting permanently according to various sources, including a study published by BMJ Open.[12]
Closing Thoughts:
You can do it. I know it’s not easy. I only smoked a few packs of cigarettes as an elementary school kid, and it was hard for me to quit. But thanks to God, my mom, reflecting on the cost, health risks, etc., I quit. And millions of others have too. So can you.
Think of living years longer, being healthier, saving money, not having a cigarette smell on your clothing, etc. Maybe even circle a future date on a calendar to mark the day when you’ll quit. Then do it.
ENDNOTES:
[1] “Smoking Cessation: Fast Facts”; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; page last reviewed: March 31, 2022; webpage accessed October 18, 2022; https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/cessation/smoking-cessation-fast-facts/index.html
[2] “What It’s Like to Quit Smoking”; U.S. Food & Drug Administration; Content current as of: October 13, 2022; webpage accessed October 18, 2022; https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/health-effects-tobacco-use/what-its-quit-smoking
[3] “Quit Smoking”; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; webpage accessed October 18, 2022; https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/index.htm#:~:text=For%20support%20in%20quitting%2C%20including,800%2D784%2D8669).&text=Information%20on%20cessation%20behaviors%20of%20U.S.%20adults%20and%20youth.
[4] “Resources to Help You Quit Smoking”; Cancer.Net; Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 6/2018; webpage accessed October 18, 2022; https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/prevention-and-healthy-living/stopping-tobacco-use-after-cancer-diagnosis/resources-help-you-quit-smoking
[5] “More than 100 reasons to quit tobacco”: Pan American Health Organization; webpage accessed October 18, 2022; https://www.paho.org/en/more-100-reasons-quit-tobacco
[6] “Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking Over Time”; American Cancer Society; Last Revised, November 10, 2020; webpager accessed October 18, 2022 https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/benefits-of-quitting-smoking-over-time.html
[7] “Benefits of quitting tobacco”; MedicinePlus.gov; Review Date 10/23/2021; webpage accessed October 18, 2022; https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007532.htm
[8] “Cigarette Prices by State 2022”; World Population Review; webpage accessed October 18, 2022; https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/cigarette-prices-by-state
[9] “How to Quit Smoking”; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Page last reviews February 28, 2022; webpage accessed October 18, 2022 https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/quit-smoking/index.html
[10] “Tools and Tips”; Smokefree.gov; webpage accessed October 18, 2022; https://smokefree.gov/
[11] Prabhat Jha, M.D., Chinthanie Ramasundarahettige, M.Sc., Victoria Landsman, Ph.D., Brian Rostron, Ph.D., Michael Thun, M.D., Robert N. Anderson, Ph.D., Tim McAfee, M.D., and Richard Peto, F.R.S.; “21st-Century Hazards of Smoking and Benefits of Cessation in the United States”; New England Journal of Medicine; January 24, 2013; webpage accessed October 19, 2022; https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMsa1211128
[12] Michael Chaiton, Lori Diemert, Joanna E. Cohen, Susan J. Bondy, Peter Selby, Anne Philipneri, and Robert Schwartz; “Estimating the number of quit attempts it takes to quit smoking successfully in a longitudinal cohort of smokers” BMJ Open; webpage accessed October 19, 2022; https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/6/e011045
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