Cigarettes

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United
States, causing more than 440,000 deaths each year and resulting in an
annual cost of more than $75 billion in direct medical costs. Nationally,
smoking results in more than 5.6 million years of potential life lost each year.
Almost 80% of adult smokers started smoking before the age of 18. Every day,
nearly 4,000 young people under the age of 18 try their first cigarette. More
than 6.4 million children living today will die prematurely because of a decision
they will make as adolescents … the decision to use tobacco. Did you know
that each of the 22 billion packs of cigarettes sold in the United States in 1999
cost the nation an estimated $7.18 in medical care costs and lost productivity.

What Can Be Done?

If a smoker stops smoking before irreversible damage is done, the body will
repair itself. The increased risk of heart attacks will begin to decrease after a
year, and in 10 years, the risk will be about the same as that of a nonsmoker.

Surveys have found that 85 percent of smokers would like to stop. Each year
two million Americans do stop smoking. Nearly half of all living adults who ever
smoked have quit. You can quit, too.

Here’s a seven-day plan that the American Cancer Society says has worked
successfully for many smokers. Use it yourself or pass it along to a relative
who smokes:
Day 1. Make a list of your reasons for quitting; place it where you can read it
when your resolve weakens. Throw out all your cigarettes and buy
one pack of a brand you don’t like, one that’s lower in tar and
nicotine than your regular brand. Keep a smoking record with the
pack and track the cigarettes you smoke, grading each according to
how desperately you wanted it. A number “1” cigarette is one you
“can’t do without.” A “2” was wanted, but wasn’t a must. A “3” was
completely optional. Note the time you smoked and what you were
doing when you lit up. Lastly, don’t clean the ashtray. Let the
cigarette butts pile up.
Day 2. Don’t smoke the cigarettes rated “3” and don’t fool yourself. Bring
out the celery and carrot sticks and sugarless gum. Don’t eat
sweets, which will cause you to gain weight. If you usually have a
cigarette at the end of a meal, get up and go for a walk.
Day 3. Try to give up the number “2” cigarettes. Keep up with your smoking
record routine. Always ask yourself if you really need that cigarette.
Substitute deep breathing for a cigarette. Make the time between
cigarettes as long as possible. Switch brands again, to one lower in
tar and nicotine.
Day 4. Drop the number “2” cigarettes. Give yourself a treat a steak or a
bunch of seedless grapes. But avoid desserts if weight is a potential
problem. Don’t smoke in a situation that would ordinarily be an
invitation to smoke such as at a party. Throw away matches and
lighters so that each cigarette is an effort.
Day 5. Buy no more cigarettes. Keep your smoking record. Tell your
friends about your efforts to quit smoking. Now, clear your ashtrays.
Put the ashes and butts into a big glass jar and add a little water.
Instead of smoking, take the lid off and sniff.
Day 6. Don’t smoke for 24 hours. Go places where smoking is forbidden.
Visit with nonsmokers. Avoid alcoholic beverages; they often set off
an urge to smoke.

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Day 7. Go for another 24 hours without smoking. Open a savings account
with the amount of money you spend on cigarettes each week. Save
that amount weekly for the next year and plan what you’ll do with the
lump sum. If you do have a cigarette, don’t give up. Go back to the
day you feel is right for you.

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