November, 2010

STOP SMOKING NOW!

There has never been a better time than right now to stop tobacco use. November 18 is the Great American Smokeout. Programs are available through your doctor and other agencies to help with getting free from tobacco. Pick up some free information right here about smoking cessation. Talk to your doctor about your plans to quit.

Still not convinced? Keep reading.

Why is tobacco bad for you?

The addictive ingredient in tobacco is nicotine. Nicotine stimulates the brain centers that increase level of awareness by altering the chemistry of the brain. Nicotine also increases the tone of the blood vessels and increases heart rate. Nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Withdrawal from nicotine can cause profound physiologic craving.

Tobacco has multiple other ingredients, including cancer causing compounds and tars that damage the lungs and other organs. 1 in 5 deaths each year in the U.S. are related to tobacco use. Stopping smoking is the single most effective means for improving our health as a community and as a nation. Here are a few reasons to stop using tobacco.

Top Ten Reasons to Stop Smoking:

It really stinks. Ex-smokers will tell you how bad they feel about smelling like a stale ashtray. Stop smoking, stop stinking.
It ages you. Tobacco thins out the skin and causes more wrinkles. Smokers look noticeably older than non-smokers.
You are able to do more stuff. Breathing becomes more difficult. You can’t enjoy activities like your non-smoking friends. Your productivity sags.
Cancer. Lots of it. Lung, mouth, larynx, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, stomach and blood (leukemia) are all increased in smokers.
Pregnancy. Smoking increases the risk of miscarriage, small babies and premature babies.
Cost. If you smoke 1 pack per day, that’s $200 per month, or $2400 per year that you could save and use for better things than wrecking your health.
Food tastes better. Smoking wipes out the smell receptors in the nose, so everything tastes different. Stopping smoking will restore your taste.
Heart disease. Smokers are twice as likely to suffer from heart attacks. Stopping smoking decreases risk to the same as non-smokers over 15 years.
Crummy sex life. Smoking increases peripheral vascular disease, which increases the risk of ED, leading to, well, you get the picture.
Death. You live a crummy life, then you die early. Half of smokers die from smoking. Stop by age 50, and decrease your risk of premature death by 50%.

Stop smoking by November 18 and get a discount on a sandwich at Mr. Sub. Talk to your doctor about quitting tobacco. Call Tri-County Health (684-5048) to get help. Best of success from all of us at GetFitColville and Washington Health Foundation.