What
      happens
      to
      your
      body
      when
      you
      quit
     
     
      smoking?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -after
      20
      minutes
      blood
      pressure
      drops
      to
     
     
      normal
      pulse
      rate
      returns
      to
      normal
      body
     
     
      temperature
      of
      hands
      and
      feet
      increases
      to
     
     
      normal
     
    

    
     
      -after
      8
      hours
      carbon
      monoxide
      level
      in
      blood
     
     
      drops
      to
      normal
      oxygen
      level
      in
      blood
      returns
     
     
      to
      normal
     
    

    
     
      -after
      24
      hours
      chance
      of
      heart
      attack
      decreases
     
     
      -after
      48
      hours
      nerve
      endings
      start
      regrowing
     
     
      ability
      to
      smell
      and
      taste
      is
      enhanced
     
    

    
     
      -2
      weeks
      to
      3
      months
      circulation
      improves
     
     
      walking
      becomes
      easier
      lung
      function
      increases
     
     
      up
      to
      30%
     
    

    
     
      -|
      to
      9
      months
      coughing,
      sinus
      congestion,
     
     
      fatigue,
      shortness
      of
      breath
      decrease
      cilia
      re-
     
     
      grow
      in
      lungs,
      increasing
      ability
      to
      handle
      mucus,
     
     
      clean
      the
      lungs,
      reduce
      infection
      body’s
      overall
     
     
      energy
      increase
     
    

    
     
      -|
      year
      excess
      risk
      of
      coronary
      heart
      disease
      is
     
     
      half
      that
      of
      a
      smoker
     
    

    
     
      -5
      years
      lung
      cancer
      death
      rate
      for
      average
     
     
      former
      smoker
      (one
      pack
      per
      day)
      decreases
      by
     
     
      almost
      half
      stroke
      risk
      is
      reduced
      to
      that
      ofanon
     
     
      smoker
      5-15
      years
      after
      quitting
      risk
      of
      cancer
     
     
      of
      the
      mouth,
      throat
      and
      esophagus
      is
      half
      that
     
     
      of
      a
      smoker
     
    

    
     
      -10
      years
      lung
      cancer
      death
      rate
      similar
      to
      that
     
     
      of
      non-smokers
      pre-cancerous
      cells
      are
      re-
     
     
      placed
      risk
      of
      cancer
      of
      the
      mouth,
      throat,
     
     
      esophagus,
      bladder,
      kidney
      and
      pancreas
      de-
     
     
      creases
     
    

    
     
      -15
      years
      risk
      of
      coronary
      heart
      disease
      is
      that
     
     
      of
      a
      non-smoker
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Before
      you
      can
      quit,
      you
      need
      two
      things:
     
     
      |)
      to
      make
      up
      your
      mind
      that
      you
      really
      want
      to
     
     
      quit.
     
    

    
     
      2)
      to
      find
      out
      the
      best
      way
      to
      quit-
      Don’t
      worry
     
     
      if
      you
      quit
      and
      start
      again.
      70%
      of
      smokers
      who
     
     
      quit
      do
      start
      again,
      but
      studies
      show
      that
      most
     
     
      of
      those
      eventually
      do
      quit
      for
      good.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      following
      are
      some
      tips
      from
      the
      P.E.I.
     
     
      Lung
      Association:
     
    

    
     
      1)
      Determine
      why
      you
      smoke
     
    

    
     
      -
      to
      discover
      what
      people,
      places,
      events,
      or
     
     
      -
      Moods
      trigger
      your
      urge
      to
      smoke.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Examples:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -watching
      televisions
     
    

    
     
      -talking
      on
      the
      phone
     
    

    
     
      -party
      situations
     
    

    
     
      -having
      a
      beer,
      coffee
      or
      tea
     
     
      -reading
      a
      book
     
    

    
     
      -playing
      cards
     
    

    
     
      -driving
      in
      a
      car
     
    

    
     
      -after
      a
      meal
     
    

    
     
      -feeling
      tired,
      bored
      or
      fed
      up
     
     
      -working
      against
      a
      deadline
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      order
      to
      successfully
      quit
      smoking,
      you
     
     
      either
      have
      to
      avoid
      these
      situations
      for
      a
      while,
     
     
      or
      develop
      ways
      to
      replace
      smoking
      in
      these
     
     
      situations.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2)
      Determine
      your
      reasons
      for
      quitting
     
     
      -write
      down
      your
      five
      most
      important
      reasons
     
     
      for
      staying
      off
      cigarettes
      and
      rank
      them
      in
      order
     
     
      of
      importance.
      Review
      them
      at
      least
      once
      every
     
     
      day.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Some
      examples:
     
    

    
     
      -to
      significantly
      reduce
      your
      chance
      of
      getting
     
     
      lung
      cancer,
      heart
      trouble,
      circulatory
      prob-
     
     
      lems,
      and
      emphysema
     
    

    
     
      -more
      energy
      especially
      for
      exercise
      and
      sports
     
     
      (including
      indoor
      sports)
     
    

    
     
      -lower
      blood
      pressure
      -set
      a
      good
      example
      for
     
     
      kids
      or
      younger
      brothers
      and
      sisters
     
    

    
     
      -clothes
      and
      breath
      won’t
      stink
     
    

    
     
      -SAVE
      MONEY
      (if
      you
      smoke
      a
      pack
      a
      day,
      you
     
     
      save
      $193.20
      a
      month
      and
      2318.40
      a
      year
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      ee
      eee
      :
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -be
      more
      in
      control
      of
      your
      life
     
     
      -breathe
      freely
     
     
      -no
      more
      cough
      or
      phlegm
     
    
   
   
    
     
      3)
      Breaking
      out
      of
      the
      habit
     
    

    
     
      Decide
      on
      the
      substitutes
      that
      are
      best
      for
     
     
      you-chew
      gum,
      chew
      on
      carrots,
      takea
      shower,
     
     
      drink
      water
      through
      a
      straw
      (a
      straw
      has
      about
     
     
      the
      same
      diameter
      as
      a
      cigarette)
      brush
      your
     
     
      teeth,
      work
      out.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      4)
      Reward
      yourself
      for
      quitting
     
    

    
     
      Use
      common
      sense
      here.
      Rewards
      should
     
     
      be
      things
      you
      enjoy,
      things
      that
      are
      reasonably
     
     
      priced
      and
      things
      that
      will
      not
      produce
      other
     
     
      health
      problems
      (like
      drinking
      alcohol
      to
      excess
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -or
      eating
      too
      many
      fattening
      foods).
      Rewards
      do
     
    
   
   
    
     
      not
      need
      to
      be
      material
      but
      they
      should
      be
     
     
      proportional
      to
      what
      you
      have
      achieved
      (delay-
     
     
      ing
      your
      first
      cigarette
      of
      the
      day
      by
      an
      hour
     
     
      shouldn’t
      be
      rewarded
      with
      a
      shopping
      spree.)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      5)
      How
      you
      can
      help
      a
      friend
      quit?
     
    

    
     
      1)
      Don’t
      bug
      them.
      They
      have
      to
      do
      this
     
     
      themselves.
     
    

    
     
      2)
      Let
      them
      know
      you
      support
      them.
      (This
     
     
      means
      NOT
      offering
      them
      a
      cigarette)
     
    

    
     
      3)
      Reward
      them
      if
      they
      do
      quit
      for
      a
      certain
     
     
      amount
      of
      time.
     
    

    
     
      4)
      Challenge
      them
      to
      a
      bet.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      additional
      information,
      and/or
      help-
      contact
     
     
      the
      P.E.l.
      lung
      Association
      or
      the
      Heart
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Stroke
      Foundation.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      October
      7,
      1993/X-Press/13