2015 has begun and with it people are beginning to work hard to follow all the resolutions that they made on December 31st. Not everyone will succeed in achieving all their resolutions but for smokers, the one that they should really try to keep this year is to take the momentous steps to quit once and for all. It can be a hard journey but research has shown over 70% of smokers express a desire to quit, so you are not alone and Carrigtwohill Pharmacy is there to support you every step of the way.

This is not an easy thing to do. People have tried to give up on so many occasions only to fail over and over again but they should never stop trying to quit as it is one of the best things you will ever do for yourself. For your health and well-being it will ensure that all the risks and dangers smoking brings will begin to be removed from your life, not to mention it will result in incredible savings. The money saved could be used for you to pursue a dream, go on that well deserved holiday, buy a car or invest in your and your family’s future. The team at Carrigtwohill Pharmacy are passionate about helping all those in the community who are willing to take the brave first step towards quitting and eliminating smoking from their lives for good. We are there to offer you advice, encouragement, help, products and services to ensure that you succeed in quitting.

Risks of Smoking

The health benefits for quitting smoking are extraordinary and will help reduce your risk from tobacco related diseases. In fact tobacco smoke has more than 60 ingredients known to cause cancer in humans.

The brutal reality is that half of all smokers die from smoking related diseases. Each year at least 5,200 people in Ireland die from diseases caused by tobacco use. This represents approximately 19% of all deaths. The breakdown is as follows:

Cancers – 44%
Circulatory diseases – 30%
Respiratory diseases – 25%
Digestive diseases – 1%

Smoking is the single biggest risk factor for lung cancer and is also a contributory risk factor in a number of other cancers including; Mouth, head and neck cancer. Stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, cancer of the kidney, uterus and bladder. As well as cervical cancer, colon cancer and myeloid leukaemia.

Your heart is your body’s engine, pumping blood to all vital organs. Smoking damages that engine by:

Increasing your heart-rate and therefore, increasing your requirement for oxygen in the blood.
Introducing carbon monoxide into the blood. This may contribute to the development of coronary heart disease and possible heart attacks.
Increasing the risk of blood clot.
Hardening and narrowing of the arteries supplying blood to the heart, which reduces the blood supply to the heart.

Smokers are more likely to have a stroke (blockage of blood to the brain or bleed in the brain) than non-smokers. Strokes are a major cause of death and prolonged disability.

Smoking can cause or worsen these debilitating respiratory conditions. Severe emphysema causes breathlessness, which can be made worse by infections.

Smoking can reduce fertility, and smoking during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and illness in early infancy.

Benefits of Quitting

The health benefits from quitting almost take immediate effect and gradually continue the longer time goes on:

24 HOURS after quitting: Blood pressure and pulse rate may drop
48 HOURS after quitting: Carbon monoxide level in the blood may return to normal.
2 TO 12 WEEKS after quitting: Circulation may improve and lung function may increase.
1 YEAR after quitting: Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.
10 YEARS after quitting: The risk of lung cancer is about half that of a smoker’s.
15 YEARS after quitting: The risk of stroke and coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s.

Another huge positive for quitting can be found in your pocket. Smoking is an expensive habit and the cost of a packet of cigarettes continues to rise year on year. A pack of cigarettes in Ireland costs approximately €9.50. For example, if a smoker who smoked 20 cigarettes a day decides to quit, they will make an amazing saving of €66.50 per week, €288.96 per month and a staggering €3,467.50 a year. This is an astonishing amount of savings, money you can enjoy with your new found healthy lifestyle or used to help in your family’s daily lives. Don’t believe us? Well check out the Irish Cancer Society’s Savings Calculator here to see for yourself.

The Process

Giving up smoking is a process. Knowing where you are in that process can help you decide what to do next to stop smoking. The quitting smoking cycle has many stages. Some smokers move through the cycle faster than others. Ask yourself where you fit in the cycle outlined below and then see what you can do to move forward.

1. Not ready to stop
You may not have considered stopping and may be unaware in a specific sense of the health risks and consequences of smoking as stated above.

2. Thinking about stopping
You are no longer happy to be smoking. You know you should stop but still feel drawn to cigarettes. If you’re at this stage, write down your reasons for smoking and your reasons for quitting. For example, you might think that smoking might help you relax or give you something to do with your hands. Weigh these up against the reasons for quitting, like better health, whiter teeth, fewer wrinkles and major cost savings.

3. Preparing to quit
You are getting ready to stop and are motivated enough to make some changes to your lifestyle. Smoking is often linked to certain situations, such as drinking coffee, walking the dog or watching a sporting event. We can call these ‘trigger’ events. Keep a diary of the cigarettes you are smoking and what your triggers for smoking are. Then work out and plan how you are going to cope in these situations. Plan new activities to replace smoking. Finally, pick your date to stop, a day that you are not under too much stress. Get rid of all your cigarettes from the house. Clean ashtrays and clean your home in preparation for its new smoke free life.

4. Quitting
Put your plans into action. Changing routine is one of the key elements to successful quitting, for example:
Change your usual drink from coffee or tea to fruit juice or water.
Get up from the table once you’ve finished your meal.
Instead of smoking at night while watching television, keep busy by going to the cinema or for a walk.
Avoid the triggers for the first couple of weeks until you’re comfortable with your new no-smoking routine.

To help them quit, some smokers use medical smoking cessation aids, most of which are based on nicotine replacement therapy, to take the edge of cravings. It is important to stay motivated and believe that you can succeed. Remember, hundreds of people every year successfully give up smoking – people just like you.

5. Being a non-smoker
You become more comfortable with the changes you have made in your lifestyle. For successful quitters these changes become a new way of life. You are no longer thinking about smoking.

6. Relapsing
Having a drink socially, being with friends who smoke or coping with stress can make you slip. But all is not lost if this occurs. Remember many smokers relapse before they quit for good. Return to the reasons you wanted to stop smoking in the first place and prepare to quit again. Not everyone manages to give up smoking at the first attempt. Having a cigarette or two doesn’t mean you have failed. It certainly doesn’t mean you can’t quit smoking.

To get back on track to becoming a non-smoker, here are some tips:
Be on guard and make plans to get back on track
Look back over your reasons for quitting in the first place
If you have not already written these down now would be a good time to do so.

Learn from the experience – what was the trigger that made you light up? Were you having a drink or feeling angry with someone perhaps? Make a list of things you will do the next time you are in that situation and other tempting situations.

All the team at Carrigtwohill Pharmacy are behind you. We believe you can quit and there is no time like the present. If you are unsure if you are ready to quit or uncertain how to start or just need some support, come into the pharmacy at any time to speak to one of our team members. Your health and well-being is our passion and we will do everything we can to help you on your journey to quit smoking.

In the mean time, here are some tips on how to stop smoking:

1. Prepare to quit
Jot down your reasons for stopping (like making your home or car smoke-free home), and keep them close at hand. Weigh up the pros and cons.

2. Pick a date
Most people who successfully quit smoking do so by stopping altogether and not by gradually cutting down. Pick your day to stop smoking and stick to it.

3. Get support
Get moral support from family or friends. Sometimes it’s helpful if a friend, family member or colleague quits with you. Don’t forget your pharmacy team in Carrigtwohill are here to help as well.

4. Change your routine
Smoking is often linked to certain times and situations such as the first smoke in the morning, drinking coffee or alcohol. These are called your ‘triggers’. Replace these triggers with new activities that you don’t link with smoking. For example, if you always had a cigarette with cups of coffee switch to tea or fruit juice instead.

5. Increase physical activity
Regular exercise contributes to good health. It helps to manage weight and can also improve the body’s ability to meet the demands and stresses of daily living.

6. Don’t be worried about withdrawal symptoms
You may experience withdrawal symptoms once you stop smoking. These are very positive signs: they mean your body is recovering from the effects of tobacco. Common symptoms include coughing, irritability and fitful sleep. Don’t worry, they are all perfectly normal and should disappear within a few weeks.

7. Deal with cravings
Cravings can occur frequently during the first few days after stopping smoking. A craving increases in intensity over a period of three to five minutes and then begins to subside.
Tips for dealing with cravings – the 4 Ds:

Delay at least three minutes and the urge will pass
Drink a glass of water or fruit juice (sip slowly)
Distract yourself. Move away from the situation
Take a deep breath. Breathe slowly and deeply. It will help you to relax.

Some smokers also find smoking-cessation aids useful, which available in Carrigtwohill Pharmacy.

8. Count the savings
Put away the amount of money you would normally spend on tobacco. Work out how much you spend on cigarettes per week, month and year. Then watch your savings grow.

9. Watch what you eat
If you’re worried about gaining weight, be extra careful with your diet. Avoid snacking on chocolate bars and biscuits; try some fruit or sugar free gum or popcorn instead. Come in to talk to our team in Carrigtwohill Pharmacy about your diet and what you can do to improve it.

10. Take one day at a time
It may take a little while to get used to being without cigarettes. Remember, every day without a cigarette is good news for your health, your family and your pocket.