Puff, puff, cough, cough,
I can hardly breathe…HELP!

You knew it was bad for you when you started, but that’s in the past. What tobacco did to you can be summarized by recalling that first cigarette. By the time you crushed the last inch, your body already knew it was under attack:

• Your heart rate increased;
• The cilia – broom-like hairs that keep your bronchial walls clean – became sluggish. Smoking for years paralyzes your cilia. Then, you’re protective defense against lung infection is frozen in time.
• The hot smoke you took in assaulted the delicate tissues in your mouth, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs. Your lungs kept 85-95% of all the chemical compounds you inhaled. Among the most damaging – nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide.
• The nicotine constricted your blood vessels, so less oxygenated blood could flow through your body. Your heart had to pump harder.
• The tars in cigarette smoke, when cool, formed a brown, sticky mass on your lungs. These tars can be precursors for lung cancer.
• The carbon monoxide you inhaled drove oxygen out of your red blood cells.
• The mucus-producing cells in your lungs and airways grew in size and number because of increased mucus from tobacco smoke. Over time, the mucus gets thicker, and "smokers’ cough" develops. The mucus is easily compromised by infection.
• Lungs and airways narrowed and reduced airflow. It became harder for you to breathe normally the longer you smoked.
• Chemicals in cigarette smoke can alter normal lung cells and change them into cancer cells.

ASTONISHING CHANGES HAPPEN WHEN YOU QUIT SMOKING…

• You will breathe easier in just 72 hours!
• Your cilia will start growing in 1-9 months.
• You will begin to cough less and your throat mucus will decrease within one month.
• You will have fewer and milder colds and lung infections.
• Your sense of smell and taste will gradually return.
• You will have a better response to the flu vaccine, and be less likely to get the flu.
• Pre-cancer tissue may return to normal. Your risk of lung cancer decreases within five years, and keeps decreasing over time.
• Your energy will increase and you should feel like exercising on a regular basis.
• You’ll have at least $100 extra dollars per month.
• You’ll reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
• Over time, you will purposefully avoid places where smoking is allowed.

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR HANDS BUSY AND KEEP WEIGHT OFF…

• Keep fresh, healthy vegetables handy to snack on…like carrot sticks.
• Avoid situations, like cocktail hours, where smoking is likely to occur.
• Get a worry stone or a small ball to keep your hands busy at work or at home.
• Use sugar-free gum as an oral substitute for smoking.
• If you feel the urge to smoke, get up and walk around for several minutes. Often, the acute urge will go away with a few minutes’ diversion.
• Try new hobbies to keep your hands active – crossword or jigsaw puzzles, try painting or learn to play a musical instrument, ride a bike, or get involved in a volunteer activity.
• Change routines. If you normally smoked after meals, leave the table and do an un-related activity.
• Save the money you would have spent each week on cigarettes for a special occasion – dinner out, a get-away weekend, or longer-term savings toward a personal goal.
• Eat small meals more often during the day. This should help curb your desire to over-eat.
• Don’t keep snacks around the house. Mindless eating is like mindless smoking.
• Work in at least 15-30 minutes of regular daily exercise (i.e., walking).
• Join a smoking cessation support group.