What’s the best way to quit smoking?

Smoking cigarettes contributes to almost 1 in 5 deaths. The top three smoking-related causes of death are cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In addition to these “top three,” smoking is also linked to a number of other cancers, an increased likelihood of getting more colds and infections, diabetes, osteoporosis and hip fractures, problems in pregnancy, difficulty with erections, stomach ulcers, gum disease, and the list goes on.

Quitting smoking can add years to your life. Though the earlier the better, it’s never too late to quit. The benefits of quitting are real, even at the age of 80!

Set a quit date

Pick a date in the next few weeks, share it with your friends and your family, and mark it on your calendar. Plan to completely stop smoking on that quit date. Think about what might make it challenging to stop. Be prepared for how you will handle any withdrawal symptoms. Identify what triggers your craving for a cigarette, and have a strategy to avoid or แทงบอล UFABET ราคาดีที่สุด ไม่มีขั้นต่ำ deal with these triggers. Start exercising before your quit date to minimize weight gain when you stop smoking. Find healthy distractions to keep your mind and hands busy. Have nicotine replacement products like nicotine gum and patches ready on hand if you plan to use them.

Going “cold turkey” might be better

You can choose to cut down on your cigarettes gradually before your quit date, or smoke as you normally do up until your quit date. Either is fine, but it seems that quitting abruptly, going “cold turkey,” might be better.

A recent study randomly assigned about 700 participants to either gradually cut back on smoking over two weeks or quit abruptly on a set quit date. Both groups were offered counseling support as well as nicotine patches and other forms of short-acting nicotine replacement. The group assigned to cold turkey was significantly more successful at quitting smoking, both at the 4-week follow-up (49% vs. 39%) and the 6-month follow-up (22% vs. 15%).

Many people need extra support

Though some people are successful on their own, many have a hard time and it often takes multiple tries to quit for good. Ask for help. There are many ways to get support, from one-on-one in person, to telephone call support, to mobile phone aps. Many counseling programs are free, and will even provide nicotine patches without charge.