Šalje: QuitSmokingSupport.com [bwprice@quitsmokingsupport.com] Poslano: 19. srpanj 2000 02:15 Prima: List Member Predmet: QuitsmokingSupport.com Newsletter - Volume 3 Number 18 QuitSmokingSupport.com - http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com In This issue for Tuesday July 18, 2000 **TRYING TO QUIT SMOKING? Using the Nicotrol Inhaler?** **Can quitting really help a lifelong smoker?** **Quitting smoking and coughing** **Common Rationalizations about starting again!** Welcome to QuitSmokingSupport.com's Newsletter! If you feel that the material in this newsletter may be of benefit to anyone that you know please feel free to pass it on! ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` TRYING TO QUIT SMOKING? Using the Nicotrol Inhaler? * Harris Interactive invites you to participate in a research study designed to learn more about your experiences using the NicotrolŽ Inhaler. * Participation involves completing up to six short surveys over the next seven months, either by phone or internet. * Qualified participants will receive payment for each interview completed, totaling up to $60. * You must be over the age of 18 and using the NicotrolŽ Inhaler to enroll in this study. * For more Information Call: 1-877-889-8593 OR, go to: http://survey.harrispollonline.com/11662f.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Be sure to visit our NEW quitting smoking bulletin board, one of the most popular ones on the Internet dealing with quitting smoking support. The support is superb and the bulletin board requires you to register and is password protected for security! http://anyboard.net/health/anyboard/index.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Can quitting really help a lifelong smoker? Yes. It is never too late to quit. The sooner smokers quit, the more they can reduce their chances of getting cancer and other diseases. Within 20 minutes of smoking the last cigarette, the body begins a series of regenerating changes. After 20 minutes, blood pressure drops to normal. After 8 hours, the carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal. After 24 hours, the chance of heart attack decreases. After one year, the risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker. In 1 to 9 months, coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease and cilia regrow in the lungs. After 10 years, the lung cancer death rate decreases by almost half. After 15 years, the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker. It is important to note that the extent to which these risks fall depends on the total amount the person smoked, the age the person started smoking, and the amount of inhalation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Make sure you visit QuitSmoking.com Excellent Information and Products to Help Smokers Quit! http://www.quitsmoking.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why is it that many smokers who quit smoking seem to cough excessively for some time after they quit and how long will this last? Excessive coughing, even after a few weeks of being quit, is completely natural. What's happening is all the tar from years of smoking is starting to loosen from your lungs. This is what is causing you to cough so much. Chances are you will start to cough some of this stuff up. Don't worry! This whole process, even if uncomfortable at times, is part of your body beginning to clear itself out of toxins and phlegm. Your body has its own time-frame for returning to normal. It all depends on how long you smoked and how much you smoked. Be patient with it! You're on the right track. If you are overly concerned be sure to talk to your doctor! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Habitrol Stop Smoking Program has helped countless smokers become ex-smokers. This free, interactive program is available on the Internet to help you kick the habit for good! The Habitrol program can stand on its own, or will work with any program you choose. Check out the Habitrol Stop Smoking Program web site at: http://www.habitrol.com/home.html There's a French language version as well at: http://www.habitrol.com/francais/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Check out our list of quitting smoking counters at: http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/counters.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Common Rationalizations about smoking! Rationalization: I'm under a lot of stress, and smoking relaxes me. Response: Your body is used to nicotine, so you naturally feel more relaxed when you give your body a substance upon which it has grown dependent. But nicotine really is a stimulant; it raises your heart rate, blood pressure, and adrenaline level. Most ex-smokers feel much less nervous just a few weeks after quitting. Rationalization: Smoking makes me more effective in my work. Response: Trouble concentrating can be a short-term symptom of quitting, but smoking actually deprives your brain of oxygen. Rationalization: I've already cut down to a safe level. Response: Cutting down is a good first step, but there's a big difference in the benefits to you between smoking a little and not smoking at all. Besides, smokers who cut back often inhale more often and more deeply, negating many of the benefits of cutting back. After you've cut back to about 7 cigarettes a day, it's time to set a quit date. Rationalization: I smoke only safe, low-tar/low-nicotine cigarettes. Response: These cigarettes still contain harmful substances, and many smokers who use them inhale more often and more deeply to maintain their nicotine intake. Also, carbon monoxide intake often increases with a switch to low-tar cigarettes. Rationalization: It's too hard to quit. I don't have the willpower. Response: Quitting and staying away from cigarettes is hard, but it's not impossible. More than 3 million Americans quit every year. It's important for you to remember that many people have had to try more than once, and try more than 1 method, before they became ex-smokers, but they have done it, and so can you. Rationalization: I'm worried about gaining weight. Response: Most smokers who gain more than 5 to 10 pounds are eating more. Gaining weight isn't inevitable. There are certain things you can do to help keep your weight stable. Rationalization: I don't know what to do with my hands. Response: That's a common complaint among ex-smokers. You can keep your hands busy in other ways; it's just a matter of getting used to the change of not holding a cigarette. Try holding something else, such as a pencil, paper clip, or marble. Practice simply keeping your hands clasped together. If you're at home, think of all the things you wish you had time to do, make a list, and consult the list for alternatives to smoking whenever your hands feel restless. Rationalization: Sometimes I have an almost irresistable urge to have a cigarette. Response: This is a common feeling, especially within the first 1 to 3 weeks. The longer you're off cigarettes, the more your urges probably will come at times when you smoked before, such as when you're drinking coffee or alcohol or are at a cocktail party where other people are smoking. These are high-risk situations, and you can help yourself by avoiding them whenever possible. If you can't avoid them, you can try to visualize in advance how you'll handle the desire for a cigarette if it arises in those situations. Rationalization: I blew it. I smoked a cigarette. Response: Smoking 1 or a few cigarettes doesn't mean you've "blown it." It does mean that you have to strengthen your determination to quit and try again -- harder. Don't forget that you got through several days, perhaps even weeks or months, without a cigarette. This shows that you don't need cigarettes and that you can be a successful quitter. *Adapted from Clinical Opportunities for Smoking Intervention: A Guide for the Busy Physician. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Publication 86-2178. August 1986. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Take care and have a great week! Blair support@quitsmokingsupport.com QuitSmokingSupport.com http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to nosmoke-unsubscribe@listbot.com Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb