Are You a Smoker? If So, Are You One of the 5%?

They say that 70% of smokers would like to quit, 40% had tried repeatedly, and 5% have succeeded. Women find it harder to quit than men, which is a problem, as women smokers carry a higher risk of heart attack – 4 to 5 times greater than a non-smoker.  (The good news is that, if they quit, this risk is halved within a year.)

The benefits of quitting smoking are enormous, and they aren’t all several years away.  Within 20 minutes of your last cigarette you will see a benefit!  Look at: When You Stop Smoking. 

Trying to quit and failing is bad, but there is a small benefit. You will learn, during the attempt, what your triggers are that lead to a relapse.  This means that next time you can orchestrate your attack more accurately, to be more likely to be successful.

The American Cancer Society holds the Great American Smokeout each year to help smokers quit cigarettes for at least one day, in hopes they will quit forever.  This year it’s November 17.  This may seem a long way off, but experts say that you need to plan ahead if you want to have a chance of success.  The American Cancer Society has a very helpful way to plan your quit day.

If you’ve left it too late to establish a good plan, call 1-800-QUITNOW for some valuable support and advice.