Smoking still a popular New Year’s resolution, but quitting requires persistence and strategyRepublicanHerald.com Smoking still a popular New Year´s resolution, but quitting requires persistence and strategy BY DAMIAN GESSEL Published: Thursday, January 1, 2009 4:11 AM EST
At midnight, the start of 2009, the Pottsville resident, who asked to remain anonymous, would officially be a nonsmoker. He would join the ranks of the healthy. That was the plan, anyway. Quitting smoking is fourth on About.com´s top ten New Year´s resolutions list, just below taming the bulge and just above enjoying life more. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 48 million Americans who are 18 and over smoke. The CDCP says 70 percent of those - 34 million - want to quit. And for good reason: The Surgeon General asserts that smoking harms nearly every organ of the body. Specifically, men who smoke are 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer; women who do so are 13 times more at risk. Smoking can cause coronary heart disease, strokes, stomach cancer and other ailments. Weigh that against the benefits of quitting: Improved lung function within three months, lower chances of everything from bladder cancer to pancreatic disease, and it stands to reason that dropping the habit tops many resolution lists. But just more than one million will quit successfully in 2009. So what gives? It´s not always as simple as putting down the lighter and smokes, said Jenny Wagner, Health Educator at Clinical Outcomes Group Inc., Pottsville. “Often people don´t address all the angles that make up the habit,” Wagner said. “Their support system, the main triggers, coping strategies.” Wagner conceded that some people are able to successfully quit cold turkey, while others need a little bit more help. Wagner said a good game plan can go a long way toward giving it up for good. The physical addiction can be addressed, she said, through nicotine replacement therapies like Chantix, Zyban or nicotine-containing gums or lozenges. Once you´ve given your brain a boost in weaning itself off of cigarettes, it´s time to look at your habits. Where do you smoke most frequently? In what situations? Wagner said there are ways of dealing with the habitual aspect of your cigarette addiction, too. There´s also the stress factor. Maybe you´re planning a wedding, going through a divorce, transitioning to a new job. It may be best to pick a calmer time to quit, Wagner pointed out. But regardless of your circumstances, being a quitter means resolving to stop - a New Year´s resolution or other. “It varies individually as to who´s going to be successful,” said Wagner. “A lot of it has to do with their motivation level, their level of readiness. Being able to speak with someone about it can maybe make them more aware of the importance of quitting.” “When people use nicotene-replacement therapy, combined with tobacco cessation counseling, they double their chances of success of quitting for good,” Wagner said. For Edward, quitting was just about taking that last drag and not looking back. And while his strategy might not work for everyone, he believes it will work for him. “Every day is a good day to quit,” Wagner said. Those interested in help through the smoking cessation process may contact Clinical Outcomes Group Inc. at 628-6990, the American Cancer Society, Pottsville, at 622-4400 or Schuylkill Medical Center-East Norwegian Street at 621-4115. Copyright © 2009 - The Republican & Herald |