Tobacco Cessation

Stopping the use of tobacco products is one of the best things you can do for your health! All forms of tobacco are dangerous and have devastating health consequences.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking
According to the American Lung Association, when smokers quit, within twenty minutes of smoking that last cigarette the body begins a series of changes.
At 20 minutes after quitting:

  • Blood pressure decreases
  • Pulse rate drops
  • Body temperature of hands and feet increases
    At 8 hours:
  • Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
  • Oxygen level in blood increases to normal
    At 24 hours:
  • Chance of a heart attack decreases
    At 48 hours:
  • Nerve endings start re-growing
  • Ability to smell and taste is enhanced
    At 2 weeks to 3 months:
  • Circulation improves
  • Walking becomes easier
  • Lung function increases
    At 1 to 9 months:
  • Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decreases
    At 1 year:
  • Excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker
    At 5 years:
  • From 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.
    At 10 years:
  • Risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
  • Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases
  • Risk of ulcer decreases
    At 15 years:
  • Risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
  • Risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked.

    Try the 5 D's to get through the tough times:
    1. Delay: The craving will eventually go away.
    2. Deep breath: Take a few calming deep breaths.
    3. Drink water: It will flush out the chemicals.
    4. Do something else: Find a new habit.
    5. Discuss: Talk about your thoughts and feelings.

    Make a list with describing why you want to quit. Refer back to this list when you’re tempted. Reward yourself when you quit. Plan something special for yourself. For example, with all the money you’ve saved from quitting smoking, buy yourself some new CDs.

    Anatomy of a Cigarette

    Here are just a few chemicals in cigarettes: There are more than 4,000 substances found in cigarettes! Do you really want these chemicals poisoning your body???

    CHEMICALS ADDED FREQUENTLY FOUND IN
    Carbon Monoxide, a poisonous gas Car exhausts
    Nicotine Pesticide
    Ammonia Floor cleaner
    Arsenic White ant poison
    Butane Lighter fuel
    Hydrogen Cyanide Poison used in gas chambers
    Toluene Industrial solvent
    DDT Insecticide
    Acetone Paint Stripper
    Cadmium Car batteries
    Methanol Rocket fuel
    Formaldehyde Preservative for dead bodies
    Hydrazine Rocket fuel & jet engines
    Vinyl Chloride PVC pipes
    Nitric Acid Fertilizers, explosives, & dyes
    Naphthalene Moth balls

    For more information, please visit
    http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/