A Guide to Quitting Smoking

There are more than 4,000 toxic substances in cigarette smoke, and there are more than 1.3 billion smokers in the world. These people smoke more than 15 billion cigarettes daily, and more than 500 million of them lose their lives annually. In our country, Iran, 28 percent of men and 3 percent of women smoke, and more than 60,000 people lose their lives annually due to smoking. Only 15 to 20 years from the start of smoking is enough for lung cancer to develop, and few patients with lung cancer survive more than 5 years after diagnosis.

∴ In which families is the likelihood of becoming a smoker higher? 1/ Families in which smoking is considered a sign of a prominent personality. 2/ Families that give boundless freedom to their children. 3/ Families in which there is no expression of affection and attachment. 4/ Families in which there are harsh behaviors, arguing, and aggression, and the children are subjected to repeated belittling and blame. 5/ Families in which emotional instability prevails. 6/ Families in which adherence to spiritual and religious values is weak. 7/ Families in which the mental, psychological, and material needs of people are not properly met. 8/ Families that give no one the right to a say and decide everyone's destiny for them. 9/ Families whose members do not have the skills needed to cope with problems and challenges. 10/ Families that are in contact with smokers and do not have a negative attitude toward smoking in some way.

∴ Benefits and changes after quitting smoking:

20 minutes later: blood pressure and heart rate return to normal. 8 hours later: the blood oxygen level returns to normal. 24 hours later: carbon monoxide is cleared from the body. 48 hours later: the sense of taste and smell improve. 72 hours later: breathing becomes easier and energy levels rise. 2 to 12 weeks later: circulation improves and walking becomes easier. 3 to 9 months later: coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing improve. 5 years later: the risk of a heart attack is halved. 10 years later: the risk of lung cancer is reduced by 50 percent compared with a smoker.

• Step one: Prepare yourself to quit. 1/ Choose a specific date to quit smoking and announce it to your family members. 2/ Make changes in your work and living environment. For example, remove all traces of cigarettes, ashtrays, etc., from your surroundings. 3/ Do not allow those around you to smoke in your presence. 4/ Review your last attempt to quit smoking and think about the cause of failure in your previous experiences, and with the help of your physician and supporter, devise solutions for it. 5/ Quit smoking all at once and do not smoke anymore.

• Step two: Choose a suitable supporter for yourself. Having someone who supports you mentally along this path will greatly increase your chances of success. You can announce your decision to family members, friends, a physician, and a counselor and consult them when necessary. Companionship and conversation with another person who has attempted to quit smoking and has experiences in this area is very helpful and hope-giving.

• Step three: Replace your previous behaviors with suitable skills and behaviors. 1/ Try to confront the urge to smoke. To this end, as soon as the urge begins, take a walk and take a few deep breaths and engage in another task. 2/ Stay away from places where you used to smoke, and gradually let the habitual behavior and desire to smoke fade away with practice. 3/ Change your usual daily conditions and habits. For example, change your route, or drink tea instead of coffee, or have your breakfast in different places. 4/ Learn methods of stress control and management with the help of a psychologist. Exercising, showering, and reading books can be helpful. 5/ List your favorite activities and devote some time to them during the day or week. 6/ Drink plenty of fluids, especially water, and avoid soft drinks. 7/ Use more cold and cool fluids. Even drink tea cooler than usual.

• Step four: Consult your physician and, if deemed appropriate, use suitable medications. 1/ Using suitable medications to control nicotine-withdrawal symptoms can increase the chance of quitting smoking by up to 50%. 2/ The medications recommended for quitting are: nicotine gum, nicotine patches, and nicotine nasal spray. 3/ In cases such as pregnant women, women who wish to become pregnant, those who smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day, and those who take medication, they must definitely consult a physician for quitting smoking. 4/ Dietary recommendations during quitting smoking: during the quitting period, there is a possibility of weight gain of 2 to 5 kilograms, which results from a change in the body's metabolism and increased appetite. Therefore, it is better during the quitting period to increase the number of meals and reduce their volume, and to completely limit the consumption of fatty and high-calorie foods, soda, coffee and tea, chocolate, sausage and cold cuts, heart and liver, kidney, tripe, eggs, cheese, and canned foods. Compounds containing vitamin C suppress appetite and overeating during quitting. So after citrus fruits, use more vegetables, especially spinach and types of cabbage.

Step five: With full preparedness, move toward quitting smoking and confronting its renewed use. 1/ The most cases of relapse occur during the first 3 months after quitting. 2/ Alcohol consumption reduces the chance of successfully quitting smoking. 3/ Stay away from smokers. 4/ Weight gain after quitting smoking can easily be controlled by correcting the dietary pattern and exercise. 5/ Depression during the quitting period is one of the important causes of smokers' fear and worry, and to cope with it you can get help from a physician or psychologist.

∴ Questions that thinking about and finding answers to will help you quit smoking are:

1/ Why do you want to quit smoking? 2/ In your last attempt to quit, what factors were inhibiting and what factors were helpful to you? 3/ Who was your main encourager or companion during your previous quitting period? 4/ What has been your most important reason for smoking? 5/ Are there other ways to enjoy life? 6/ How much money do you spend on smoking?

Quitting smoking is beneficial at any time, but at the same time it is not easy; rest assured that if you want to, with will and effort you can.