About half of all Americans who smoke and don’t quit will die because of smoking. That’s one of the reasons it’s so important to quit, and the sooner the better. But quitting is rewarding no matter how old you are. Studies show that even after age 80, people can live healthier if they give up cigarettes.
And the benefits are almost immediate. Ex-smokers have fewer illnesses such as colds and the flu, lower rates of bronchitis and pneumonia, and feel healthier than people who still smoke. Just 20 minutes after quitting, your heart rate and blood pressure drop. In just 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. In as little as 2 weeks, your circulation improves and your lung function increases.
Nearly everyone knows that smoking can cause lung cancer, but fewer people realize it is linked to a higher risk for many other kinds of cancer, too. Quitting smoking also lowers the risk of heart attack, stroke, and chronic lung disease.
If you’ve already been diagnosed with cancer or another significant health problem, quitting smoking makes it more likely the treatment will be successful and that you’ll have fewer side effects.
But a new study by American Cancer Society researchers found that about 1 in 10 cancer survivors still report smoking about 9 years after a diagnosis. Lead author Lee Westmaas, PhD, American Cancer Society director of tobacco control research, said doctors and health care providers must continue to ask survivors about their smoking and provide resources, including medications and counseling, to help them quit.
Quitting when you’re older
According to the National Institutes of Health, being older creates both challenges and advantages when it comes to quitting.
The challenges: You have likely tried to quit before, maybe even more than once. Knowing how hard it is may make you feel discouraged about trying again. And if you’ve been smoking a long time, it may be so much a part of everyday life, it’s hard to imagine quitting.
The advantages: Older adults have strengths younger people may not have that can help them quit. Over their lifetimes, they have had lots of experience accomplishing difficult tasks. At this point in their lives, they are likely to be better prepared to quit smoking than when they were younger. They know quitting is tough, and they know it won’t be easy, so once they decide to try again they may be more willing to work at it to make sure they succeed.
The immediate benefits: Soon after quitting you’ll notice your breath smells better, stained teeth get whiter, food tastes better, and everyday activities like climbing stairs no longer leave you out of breath. You’ll also be protecting your loved ones from the dangers of secondhand smoke. And smoking is expensive. Calculate how much money you spend each month on cigarettes for extra motivation to quit.
Message from the Surgeon General
The US Surgeon General has said, “Smoking cessation [stopping smoking] represents the single most important step that smokers can take to enhance the length and quality of their lives.”
It’s hard to quit smoking, but you can do it. To have the best chance of quitting and staying a non-smoker, you need to know what you’re up against, what your options are, and where to go for help.
No matter how old you are or how long you’ve smoked, quitting can help you live longer and be healthier. People who stop smoking before age 50 cut their risk of dying in the next 15 years in half compared with those who keep smoking. Ex-smokers enjoy a higher quality of life – they have fewer illnesses like colds and the flu, lower rates of bronchitis and pneumonia, and feel healthier than people who still smoke.
For decades the Surgeon General has reported the health risks linked to smoking. In 1990, the Surgeon General concluded:
• Quitting smoking has major and immediate health benefits for men and women of all ages. These benefits apply to people who already have smoking-related diseases and those who don’t.
• Ex-smokers live longer than people who keep smoking.
• Quitting smoking lowers the risk of lung cancer, other cancers, heart attack, stroke, and chronic lung disease.
• Women who stop smoking before pregnancy or during the first 3 to 4 months of pregnancy reduce their risk of having a low birth-weight baby to that of women who never smoked.
• The health benefits of quitting smoking are far greater than any risks from the small weight gain (usually less than 10 pounds) or any emotional or psychological problems that may follow quitting.
Tips for cessation success
The decision to quit smoking is one that only you can make. Others may want you to quit, but the real commitment must come from you. If you are thinking about quitting, setting a date and deciding on a plan will help move you to the next step.
1. Once you’ve decided to quit, you’re ready to pick a quit date. This is a very important step. Pick a day within the next month as your Quit Day. Picking a date too far away can allow you time to rationalize and change your mind. But you want to give yourself enough time to prepare and come up with a plan. Make a strong, personal commitment to quit on that day. There’s no one right way to quit.
2. Avoid temptation. Stay away from people and places that tempt you to smoke. Later on you’ll be able to handle these with more confidence.
3. Change your habits. Switch to juices or water instead of alcohol or coffee. Choose foods that don’t make you want to smoke. Take a different route to work. Take a brisk walk instead of a smoke break.
4. Choose other things for your mouth: Use substitutes you can put in your mouth such as sugarless gum or hard candy, raw vegetables such as carrot sticks, or sunflower seeds. Some people chew on a coffee stirrer or a straw.
5. Get active with your hands: Do something to reduce your stress. Exercise or do something that keeps your hands busy, such as needlework or woodworking, which can help distract you from the urge to smoke. Take a hot bath, go for a walk, or read a book.
6. Breathe deeply: When you were smoking, you breathed deeply as you inhaled the smoke. When the urge strikes now, breathe deeply and picture your lungs filling with fresh, clean air. Remind yourself of your reasons for quitting and the benefits you’ll gain as an ex-smoker.
7. Delay: If you feel that you’re about to light up, hold off. Tell yourself you must wait at least 10 minutes. Often this simple trick will allow you to move beyond the strong urge to smoke.
8. Reward yourself. What you’re doing isn’t easy, and you deserve a reward. Put the money you would have spent on tobacco in a jar every day and then buy yourself a weekly treat. Buy a book or some new music, go out to eat, start a new hobby, or join a gym. Or save the money for a major purchase.
Kids and Tobacco: Some Facts You Should Know
Did you know almost all tobacco use begins during childhood and young adulthood? The Surgeon General’s office says if young people can remain tobacco-free until they are 18, most will never start using it.
Did you know flavored cigarettes are against the law because they appeal to children – but flavored cigars aren’t? Cigarette-sized cigars are available in flavors like grape, chocolate, and strawberry, and look like cigarettes. More than one-third of high school seniors have tried a cigar. Many smokeless products like chew, snuff, and dissolvable tobacco also come in candy-like flavors. So does the tobacco used in hookahs, a type of water pipe that’s become popular in the United States. A survey in 2011 found that about 26% of high school students had used hookahs.
Did you know the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering plans to regulate e-cigarettes, banning sales to minors, and requiring manufacturers to put health warnings on the nicotine-delivering devices that have become a multibillion-dollar industry? E-cigarettes come in colors and flavors that are attractive to children and young adults, such as bubble gum, strawberry, and chocolate. They are made to look like pens and other small objects that can be hidden in backpacks and clothes. Although potentially toxic, the emissions may smell like the flavoring. These products are easy for kids and teens to buy – they’re readily available online and in shopping malls. More than half the states already ban sales to minors.
Most importantly, did you know parents can do a lot to help keep their children from using tobacco?
• Set an example by not using tobacco yourself.
• If you use tobacco, you can still make a difference. Your best move, of course, is to try to quit. Meanwhile, don’t use tobacco around your children, don’t offer it to them, and don’t leave it where they can easily get it.
• Talk to your children about the dangers of tobacco.
• Tell your children you expect them to never use tobacco, or if they’re already using it tell them to quit.
• Know what your children are doing and who their friends are.
• Network with other parents who can help you encourage children and teens to refuse tobacco.
• Encourage your children’s schools to enforce tobacco-free policies.
• Enforce movie-age restrictions and discourage teens from playing video games that feature tobacco.
