The Great American Smokeout

Smoking is one of the leading causes of heart disease and stroke. Around 70% of cigarette smokers see a healthcare provider annually with most expressing the desire to quit. According to the American Cancer Society, about 34 million American adults smoke cigarettes to this day, and smoking remains the single largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world. Smoking causes an estimated 480,000 deaths every year, or about 1 in 5 deaths.

Quitting smoking gets hard because people who smoke become addicted to the nicotine found in cigarettes and other tobacco products. However, there are countless resources on proven ways and treatments to help with quitting.

Join the Great American Smokeout this third Thursday of November and let this be day one in starting the journey to a smoke-free life. People from all over the United States are encouraged to take that first step towards a healthier life, therefore reducing the risk of cancer and other complications.

Quitting smoking is never an easy feat but it’s not impossible either. Quitting smoking and taking your life back from it can be very challenging. It will take time, effort, and a plan, however, the most crucial part of this is getting the help and support needed to be empowered to quit. No one needs to stop smoking in one day but anyone can start with day one.

Get Help Quitting

Picking Quit Day

Set it now, set it to tomorrow, or up to a month from now. Be sure to have enough time to prepare for a quit plan, but not so much time to change one’s mind about quitting. It is always best to pick a day that doesn’t look like it will be a stressful day and then start with day one.

Still having second thoughts?

• Quitting smoking is beneficial to all ages, including the people who get a whiff out of that single stick of tobacco
• Quitting smoking improves overall health, bodily functions, delivery of oxygen throughout the body and therefore enhancing quality of life
• Quitting smoking reduces the risk of mortality and can add as much as a decade to life expectancy

The body recovers within minutes of smoking that last cigarette, so what more in a month, a year, or a few years? Quitting smoking is one of the best things to do for our health. Quitting at any point in time can give back years of life that would be lost by continuing to smoke, the earlier the better.

Other benefits immediately noticeable after quitting:

• Food tastes better
• Sense of smell works better
• Breath, hair, and clothes smell better
• Teeth and fingernails stop yellowing
• Less shortness of breath with physical activities

Quit-Smoking Support Services

Centers for Disease Control Prevention has outlined services offering both counseling and quit-smoking medicines approved by the FDA to help quit smoking. Using both counseling and medications together helps best with quitting.

Some support services available are:

• Quitlines provide free coaching—over the phone—to help quit smoking. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to speak confidentially with a highly trained quit coach. Quitlines are available throughout the United States, and coaching help is available in several languages. Some quitlines offer text messaging support as well.
• The National Texting Portal connects adults (18 years of age and older) in the United States with text message-based support to help them quit smoking. The text messages offer encouragement, advice, and tips for becoming smoke-free and being healthier. The portal is available in English and Spanish.
• The quitSTART App is a free smartphone app that uses tailored tips, inspiration, and quit challenges to help quit smoking.
• The American Cancer Society also offers a program and tools for quitting.
• Tips from Former Smokers Campaign uses approaches to address health inequalities by increasing the reach, representation, receptivity, and accessibility of smoking cessation messages. It also provides information on free quit-smoking resources among adults.
• Talking to a doctor or pharmacist can help identify which treatments or support services are best fitted for each individual’s needs.

No matter the age or duration of smoking, quitting improves health both immediately and over the long term. Giving up smoking is a long and hard journey, but chances of success are increased with a good plan and support. Getting help through counseling and medications further doubles or even triples the chances of quitting successfully.

At Dr. Jenna Wishnew’s office, we understand the stresses of daily life and the triggers to turn to smoking. Nevertheless, as your healthcare partner, we will always encourage you to take steps towards your best health. Smoking can greatly impact your wound healing and post-operative recovery while risks for complications increase. We are with you in this journey and we congratulate you in advance for each step you take towards quitting smoking.

Author

Jenna Wishnew Dr Wishnew is a Board Certified General Surgeon practicing in the North Texas area She specializes in general surgery, gastroparesis, wound care, vein concerns and robotic surgery.