Four Keys for Quitting

Four Keys for Quitting

Get Ready

• set a quit date
• Get rid of cigarettes and ashtrays
• Don't let people smoke in your home or car
• Review Past attempts to quit.....What worked, and what did not

Get Support and Encouragement

• Talk to your family, friends and co-workers about your quitting and ask for their support.
• Talk to your health care provider and ask for their support and a prescription to tobacco treatment medications.
• Come to the Blog Support Group, Quit Tobacco Now group or call the Quit Line.
  

Learn New Skills and Behaviors

• Think of ways you might distract yourself, playing with straws or cinnamon toothpicks will keep your hands and mouth busy.
  
• Change your routine during times when you usually smoke. Perhaps your morning coffee time could be Tea time and changing the location that you drink it is also helpful. Going for a walk after supper will help break the cigarette after supper routine.
  
• Feeling stressed, take a hot bath, exercise or take a break from the kids by hiding in the bathroom for a bit.
• Plan something enjoyable to do every day. Remember you have the money you aren't spending on cigarettes for a treat.
• Drink a lot of water and other fluids. Drinking helps flush your body of the toxins from smoke.
  

Get medication and use it correctly

• If you are on Badger Care your health provider can provide you with a prescription to medication that can help you quit and Badger Care will cover it.
• The Quit Line 1-800-784-8669 is giving out 2 weeks of Nicotine Replacement Therapy.
  These medications will about double your chances of quitting and quitting for good.
• If you are pregnant talk to your health care provider before taking medications.
  

Interesting New Studies

A new study finds that women who smoke are more likely to give birth to female babies. Usually women give birth to more boys than girls, about 52 % of newborns are male. Women who smoke during pregnancy, however, are 1/3 less likely to give birth to boys than nonsmokers, and the odds of having a boy are cut in half if the father also smokes.
findings presented at a meeting of the Royal Academy of Pediatrics and Child Health

Maternal Smoking Causes Blood-Pressure Rise Among Babies
Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to babies with an average systolic blood-pressure reading of 5.4 points higher than babies born to moms that didn't smoke during pregnancy and aren't exposed to second hand smoke. Diastolic blood pressure was not affected.
study appeared in the July 2007 issue of the journal Hypertension

Tiny Hearts Hurt by Secondhand Smoke
Children ages 2-14, who are exposed to secondhand smoke show signs of cardiovascular injury, meaning they may be at increased risk of heart disease. "Toddlers are smokers by default", said the studies co-author John Bauer, and "tended to have the greatest levels of nicotine exposure and have greater indicators of cardiovascular risk". Forty percent of toddlers in the study had nicotine content that in adults would suggest that they were active smokers"
findings were presented at the American Heart Associations Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention meeting, March 2008

Women Should Time Quitting Smoking with Menstrual Cycle
Women who try to quit smoking during the time from the end of their period to when they ovulate are 40% more likely to stay quit while those who try during the other half of their cycle are 20% more likely to to stay quit after 30 days. The study was published in the May 2008 issue of the journal Addiction.

FACTOID

Each year, exposure to secondhand smoke causes 150,000 to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections (such as pneumonia and bronchitis) in US infants and children younger than 18 months of age. These infections result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations yearly.

Don't Give Up, Keep Trying

Don't Give Up, Keep Trying

I hope Mandy's information will kick start a desire to quit in everyone that smokes and read it. There is no better time to quit than NOW! Come to the QFB support group Feb 12th at 6 for support. Take advantage of any help available so that you can provide the best start possible for your child. If you would like some support and information please contact me, Alice, at 845-2947. With a strong desire to quit and with support and encouragement from others, you will be able to quit, it can be done. If you have tried before and feel like you have failed don't be discouraged, each time you quit you learn something about yourself that will help your next effort be more successful. Quitting is often a process of learning from each attempt until the time when all that you have learned comes together for success. DON'T GIVE UP, KEEP TRYING!
Local Quit Smoking Programs:

• Quit Tobacco Now, every Wednesday 6-7, NTC. Information call 715-848-4548
• Quit Line, 1-800-784-8669
• Quit For Baby, Administrator Alice, 845-2947, or acovey@mccdahs.org
• Quit For Baby Support Group, Family Resource Center, Tuesday,February 12, 6-7 (child care)

Why Quit? Figuring out your reasons to quit will make it easier to quit!
Make a list of your reasons for smoking, and your reasons for QUITING. This will give you insight as to why you smoke and can motivate you to QUIT.

How Can You Deal With Nicotine Withdrawal???
Expect Symptoms

• you may feel cranky or anxious. You might be especially tired.

Know that Withdrawal Symptoms are temporary

• Intense withdrawal symptoms (including cravings) usually last only a few days. Some symptoms may last several weeks. Cravings do pass
  

Get Help

• Talk to your doctor or visit a community clinic. Find out what your health care provider suggests for medication that can help you quit smoking.
  
• Call the Quit line or call or email your QFB administrator acovey@mccdahs.org

FACTOID

Each year, US mothers who smoke at least 10 cigarettes a day can actually cause between 8,000 and 26,000 new cases of asthma among their children.