| How to help a friend quit smoking | | | | become familiar with smokeless cigarettes as an |
| Smoking is the number one preventable cause of | | | | alternative to smoking. |
| death in the U.S. Smoking causes lung cancer, heart | | | | Other possibilities include starting deep breathing yoga |
| attacks, emphysema, and stroke. People who smoke | | | | exercises, using relaxation CDs, or squeezing a |
| have much shorter life expectancies than people | | | | physical therapy ball to relieve tension. A quit smoking |
| who don’t. | | | | plan needs to be tailored a bit for each individual. |
| How do you help a friend or family member quit | | | | A Quit Smoking Plan is fairly easy to prepare. The |
| smoking? It isn’t easy. Smoking is a difficult habit | | | | hard part is getting a smoker to follow the plan. |
| to break. Smoking is an addiction with physiological | | | | There is no guaranteed way to get a smoker to |
| and psychological components. | | | | follow a quit smoking plan. However there are some |
| Nevertheless, there are things you can do to help | | | | things you can try. |
| someone quit smoking. In my talk I will explain how to | | | | To get the smoker’s attention you might try |
| present a smoker with information on the health | | | | sending the smoker some of the anti smoking |
| consequences of smoking, how to develop a Quit | | | | merchandise available for sale on the ALA web site. |
| Smoking Plan, and how to persuade a smoker to | | | | There you can order T shirts and other items with |
| follow such a plan. | | | | slogans urging people not to smoke. |
| I realize that by talking about the health affects of | | | | You may be able to convince the smoker to |
| smoking I run the risk of depressing the whole | | | | prepare a quit smoking plan. If not, you can prepare |
| audience. I promise to move quickly to the more | | | | one yourself and give it to the smoker. You can also |
| practical question of how to quit. | | | | talk about the plan with the smoker and explain the |
| The health consequences of smoking are well | | | | importance of each step of the plan. |
| documented. Two places to find such information | | | | Repetition is a useful tool of persuasion, so remind |
| are the Mayo Clinic website and the American Lung | | | | the smoker as often as possible of the quit smoking |
| Association website. | | | | day and the need to prepare for it. |
| Smoking is responsible for nearly one in five deaths | | | | Explain to the smoker that the withdrawal symptoms |
| in the United States. Almost half a million people die | | | | are worst in the first 7 to 10 days after quitting. This |
| every year from the consequences of smoking. | | | | may enable the smoker to get through the first few |
| On average, smokers die 13 to 14 years sooner than | | | | days. |
| nonsmokers do. | | | | Spending some money on the effort may also |
| Lung cancer is the No.1 cause of cancer death in the | | | | help. For example, if the smoker cannot afford a quit |
| United States. | | | | smoking class or an exercise program, you could pay |
| Almost 90,000 Americans die each year of coronary | | | | for it yourself. This will show that you take the issue |
| heart disease caused by smoking. Smokers have | | | | seriously, and they should too. |
| triple the risk of coronary heart disease that | | | | Preaching to or nagging the smoker not to smoke |
| nonsmokers have. | | | | is probably not that helpful. Part of what you do will |
| Smoking raises your blood pressure, cholesterol level | | | | depend on the smoker’s attitude. The smoker |
| and your risk of blood clots. A smoker is two to six | | | | may have no interest in quitting and rebuff your efforts |
| times more likely to have a heart attack, and the more | | | | entirely. Or, he or she might have some interest in |
| you smoke, the higher your risk. | | | | giving up smoking, but may be unwilling to follow every |
| Depending on how well you know a smoker, you could | | | | step of the quit smoking plan. In some cases a |
| simply mention these websites or print out and discuss | | | | smoker might need just a little nudge to quit smoking. |
| the information with the smoker. | | | | Another possibility is that after the quit smoking date |
| | | | | the smoker succeeds in cutting down on smoking but |
| After reviewing the health affects of smoking, the | | | | does not quit entirely. In this case you need to praise |
| next step in quitting smoking is the Quit Smoking Plan. | | | | the smoker’s effort to quit but also remind the |
| A quit smoking plan is a detailed list of steps that | | | | smoker that it is necessary to quit completely. |
| someone should take to quit smoking. It is usually not | | | | Review the reasons to quit with the smoker – often |
| realistic for someone to just wake up one day and quit | | | | health benefits alone are not enough to persuade a |
| smoking. A certain amount of planning and | | | | smoker to quit. Also review the parts of the quit |
| preparation is needed. | | | | smoking plan that were not followed and try to get the |
| A quit smoking plan should mention some of the health | | | | smoker to follow those parts of the plan as well. |
| and other reasons that provide the motivation for a | | | | You are doing a friend a big favor by trying to help |
| smoker to quit. | | | | him or her quit smoking. |
| A quit smoking plan should set a quit date, which is a | | | | To be successful, you need the right tools. Consult |
| date sometime in the near future, when the smoker will | | | | relevant websites for information on the health affects |
| plan to stop smoking. This gives a smoker time to | | | | of smoking. Prepare a detailed quit smoking plan. |
| prepare to kick the habit. | | | | Convince the smoker to follow the plan. |
| The bulk of the quit smoking plan contains a series of | | | | 46 million Americans who once smoked have |
| actions the smoker needs to take to get ready to | | | | successfully quit. It isn’t easy, but the health |
| quit. Such actions include joining a local smoking | | | | benefits are considerable. |
| cessation class, identifying a group of people who can | | | | You may feel bad if your friend does not quit. The |
| provide support when the smoker quits, and reviewing | | | | best thing to do in that case is to say “good |
| the quit smoking literature available on the ALA | | | | try.” Quitting smoking often takes several |
| website. This website contains a detailed seven | | | | attempts, and each attempt is a step forward. |
| module program called Freedom from Smoking which | | | | If you have a friend or family member who smokes, |
| describes how to quit smoking. | | | | try helping them to quit. Stick with it. If you are not |
| A smoker can also join a gym or get a treadmill, | | | | successful on the first attempt, remember the old |
| because exercise is helpful for someone giving up | | | | adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try |
| smoking. In addition, smokers can consult a doctor or | | | | again. |
| pharmacist about nicotine patches and gum and | | | | |