DID YOU KNOW?

After only 20 minutes of quitting your heart rate begins drop to normal levels. Need more reasons to quit?

READ ALL THE FACTS

How can I quit?

Quitting is never easy— in fact, most smokers try 7 times before they go smoke-free. But, and this is an important but, that doesn't mean you can't do it. It just means you need to keep your head and spirits up, even if it's harder than you expected.

Here are some things you can do to make it a little bit easier:

Get ready

     • Think about the reasons why you smoke—boredom, rebelliousness,
        loneliness, peer pressure—and why quitting is important to you.
     • Set a quit date that means something to you
     • Tell all your friends/family you’re about to quit
     • Focus on the benefits of quitting
     • Get counseling: you can go online and read information from several
        web pages that have been designed to help you quit.

Change your behaviors

     • Play sports
     • Get some exercise
     • Go for a walk
     • Plan something enjoyable to do every day
     • Brush your teeth when you want a cigarette
     • Chew sugarless gum
     • Meet your friends in places you can’t smoke

Talk to your doctor

He or she can help you:

     • Understand why you smoke
     • Focus on the benefits of quitting
     • Help you to change your behaviors
     • Find products that will help control the urge to smoke

And remember, unless your life is in danger, conversations with your health care provider are just between the two of you—he or she won’t share what you say with anyone.

Change your diet

Smoking dulls your sense of taste and smell and nicotine suppresses hunger, causing tobacco users to generally eat less. Therefore most tobacco users gain weight when they quit. But there are plenty of ways to keep the weight off and keep you focused on your real goal. Try These:

     • Drink a lot of water
     • Eat healthy snacks (fruits, low fat yogurts, sugarless gum)
     • Try to stay active

Know what to expect

If you are a regular smoker/chewer, your body is used to having nicotine all the time. Once you quit using tobacco, you will probably feel some symptoms of withdrawal. Symptoms may include:

     • Nicotine craving
     • Crabbiness
     • Nervousness
     • Depressed mood
     • Difficulty concentrating
     • Restlessness

These can last for a few weeks. After that you’ll be over, the hardest part of quitting!
You have to be realistic, quitting smoking is NOT EASY!

Be prepared in case of a relapse

Relapse is a common part of the quitting process, so don’t beat yourself up if you slip up. Most people who start smoking again do so within three months of quitting. And most people have to try more than once to quit for good. but even if you do start smoking again, there is good news:

• Each time you try you’ll learn something important about yourself and your smoking habit.
• Then you can use what you learn to do things differently the next time!

You have choices
People use many methods to help them quit using tobacco—there is no right or wrong way of going about quitting, and every experience is different. You just have to figure out which methods are best for you and then go for it.

Some people are able to quit on their own, but this doesn’t work for everybody. Having support from friends and family to help you through the quit process is important.

Here are some tools that you can use to help you quit:

TRASH Quit Kit: These FREE kits include an interactive booklet and CD and items to help you while you're going through your quit process. Order one today!
Smokefree Teen: This site is designed to help you understand the decisions you make—especially the decision to quit smoking—and how those decisions fit into your life. “Your Life. Your Health. Your Call.” The site is run by the National Cancer Institute.
Smokefree TXT: This is a FREE text message service through the Smokefree Teen program that provides 24/7 encouragement, advice, and tips to teens trying to quit smoking. Sign up online at teen.smokefree.gov or text QUIT to iQUIT (47848). You can even download an 'app' for your smart phone and join their Facebook and Twitter pages.
The NOT (Not on Tobacco) program from the American Lung Association is a voluntary smoking cessation program for teens 14-19. Over the 10-week program, participants learn to identify their reasons for smoking, healthy alternatives to tobacco use, and people who will support them in their efforts to quit.
Online tools can be helpful with quitting. Not only do these sites help you maintain your privacy, they can also tailor information to your needs and connect you with others who are going through the same thing.

Why should I quit?
If you’re trying to quit, you’re not alone. Among the 23% of students across the nation who currently smoke, over half have tried to quit in the last year.

Some of the reasons for quitting are obvious like a healthier body, a fatter wallet, and a cleaner environment. So let’s break them down…

1. Health benefits

     • You’ll no longer be addicted to a toxic substance
     • You’ll perform better when playing sports
     • You’ll breathe better
     • Your food will taste better
     • You’ll have less risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease

2. Economic benefits

• You’ll have more cash to spend on other things. See how much you could save. Try the Cost Calculator.

3. Appearance benefits

     •Your teeth won’t be yellow
     •Your breath won’t stink
     •You’ll have fewer wrinkles (years from now you’ll thank us!)

4. Relationship benefits

• You’ll argue less with your parents
• You won’t gross out your date

5. Environmental benefits

• You’ll be putting less pollution into the air
• You’ll have less risk of an accident while driving

Are you ready to quit now?