Quitting Smoking

If you have not set a New Year’s resolution yet, and you are a smoker, here is some encouragement to end smoking this year once and for all.  Let us start with some basic facts about smoking.  Smoking has many negative health effects on the body and is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.  According to the Center for Disease Control, 15.5 percent of adults in the United States are cigarette smokers. 
However, some people need more than just health reasons for why to quit smoking.  Consider finances, family and friends, and the environment that are affected because of smoking.  Often it is not a matter of finding a reason to quit, but rather how to quit and how to stay a quitter.  One of the ways to truly succeed in quitting smoking is having a plan on how to quit.  It is necessary to know what your withdrawal symptoms look like and what your own personal triggers to smoking are.  These can help you form an appropriate plan to quitting smoking and focus your attention on where you may need some help.  Most importantly you are not alone in your path of quitting smoking!  There are many resources available to support you in your decision.  There are medications, support lines, nicotine replacement products, support groups and so much more.
As with any health decision, check with your health care provider about your options and their recommendations for you.  Click here to find a great resource that provides so much information about reasons to quit, preparing to quit and how to stay away from smoking: https://tobaccofreelife.org
Source of facts from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/index.htm