Tips to quit smoking

If you do not smoke cigarettes and these recommendations have fallen into your hands, please share it with family, friends, acquaintances who may find it useful to quit smoking.

If you smoke and have made the decision to quit, congratulations! In this document you will find information that will help you achieve your goal.

Know the risks and effects of tobacco for you, for your surroundings and for the environment.

This article can help you make the decision.

Smoking: Habit or disease?

Smoking is considered a chronic disease, classified within addictive disorders

It is the leading preventable cause of death in developed countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) it is responsible for more than seven million deaths annually in the world and one in two children is a passive smoker.

In our country it causes 60,000 deaths per year and 1,500 of these deaths occur in passive smokers.

TOBACCO COMPOSITION

Tobacco contains more than 4,500 substances. Many of them are toxic and can cause cancer.

Nicotine is responsible for addiction.

First advice to quit smoking

Tobacco is always harmful to the health of the smoker and the people around him

The main diseases produced by tobacco are related to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. It can be a direct cause or aggravate respiratory diseases such as COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and asthma.

Tobacco causes 30% of malignant tumors.
Some of them are directly produced by tobacco (lung, larynx, esophagus, mouth) and in others, it is a factor associated with its production (stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, liver, colon, breast, penis, cervix. .).

Of all of them, the most related is lung cancer, which is the one that causes the most deaths in Spain.
During pregnancy it can cause significant risks for the fetus and the mother: placental hemorrhages, sudden death, premature birth, abortion, low birth weight babies and even sudden infant death.

2nd tip: take care of the environment

Tobacco cultivation leads to deforestation.

Manufacturing is the most polluting step because it consumes large amounts of natural resources.

Up to 2 out of 3 tobacco butts are thrown into the environment and are toxic waste that ends up in the streets, drains, air and sea.

Why is tobacco so addictive?

Nicotine reaches the brain in just 7 seconds, and there it binds to some receptors and releases dopamine, responsible for pleasure.

However, when nicotine does not reach the brain, the withdrawal syndrome appears, forcing the smoker to start smoking again.

This means that many smokers do not manage to quit smoking.

Advice if you feel an intense desire to smoke

Wait: The urge to smoke only lasts 2-3 minutes, and will become less intense and frequent each time
Change of place or situation
Drink water or juice. Chew sugarless or nicotine gum or eat something low in calories
Stay busy (work, sports, hobbies)

Tips to manage symptoms

IRRITABILITY

Walk
Have a shower or take a bath
Avoid coffee and caffeinated drinks

DIFFICULT TO FOCUS

Do not demand high performance for two weeks
Sleep more
Do sports or some physical activity
Avoid alcoholic beverages.

HEADACHE

Have a shower or take a bath
Avoid coffee and alcohol

HUNGER

Drink plenty of water and low-calorie fluids
Avoid fats and sweets
Add the consumption of vegetables and fruits in the diet
Eat more often and less

INSOMNIA

Avoid afternoon tea, coffee and queues
When you go to bed, drink a glass of warm milk or tila.
Add vegetables and fruits in the diet
Avoid naps
Be very regular with sleep schedules.
Have a light dinner and two hours before going to bed.
Get a massage

TIRED AND DISCOURAGED

Maintain your activity: work, hobbies, sport…
Do what you like best, reward yourself
Avoid loneliness, seek the company of friends
Increase the hours of sleep

CONSTIPATION

walk, exercise
Take a diet rich in fiber
Drink plenty of fluids, especially water
Be regular with your habits
Try to evacuate daily, and if possible after breakfast

Tips to quit smoking

STEP 1: MAKE THE DECISION TO QUIT SMOKING

MOTIVATE YOURSELF TO QUIT SMOKING

There are many reasons to quit smoking: improvement of health and quality of life, saving money, setting a good example for your children or relatives…

Make a list of the reasons why you want to quit smoking, maybe you have only one reason or maybe many.

There are no better or worse reasons, each person has their own; That is why it is important that you spend a few minutes reflecting.

It is a good time to start looking for alternatives: what will you do to relax, concentrate, socialize, etc., without a cigarette in hand.

BEGIN CONTROLLING YOUR TOBACCO USE

Every time you light a cigarette, think about why you do it.

Discover the situations that you associate with the need to smoke and avoid them.

You will see that the number of cigarettes you smoke decreases.

STEP 2 Get ready to quit smoking

SET A DATE

Choose a specific and close date to quit smoking.

Look for a day when circumstances will help you quit smoking.

You should assess whether it will be easier for you on a weekday or during the weekend, when you are busy or any day in which you can plan how to organize your time.

Any time is a good time to quit smoking.

The day you quit smoking will be an important day in your life.

ASK FOR HELP

Communicate your decision to your family, friends or co-workers and ask for their support.

It is highly recommended that you go to a health professional (doctor, nurse or pharmacist) who will prescribe the most appropriate treatment.

Smoking cessation therapy consists of a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy (a series of practical tips to control the desire to smoke), along with drug treatment.

GET READY FOR THE DAY YOU´LL QUIT SMOKING

Get rid of all cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays within your reach. Be prepared to follow the advice given to you by the healthcare staff and use the treatment they have prescribed.
During the first few days, try to avoid stimuli and situations that are highly associated with smoking: drinking coffee, drinking alcohol, sitting on the sofa after meals…

Anticipate situations that you associate with smoking and think of alternatives to deal with them without smoking: drink soft drinks or tea instead of coffee or alcohol, and take a walk after meals instead of sitting on the sofa…

WHAT DRUGS ARE THERE TO STOP SMOKING?

We currently have several medications, with proven efficacy, that help to quit smoking.
Your role is to achieve adequate control of the withdrawal syndrome, the fundamental cause of relapse into consumption during the first months of abandonment.

With these drugs, the chances of success increase between 2-4 times.
Currently, three first-line drugs are available in our country.

Replacement therapy with nicotine, cytisine (a drug that has been marketed in Spain since November 2021) and bupropion.
The health professional will recommend the pharmacological treatment chosen in your case and how to use it.

STEP 3 First day without tobacco

TRY TO GET UP A LITTLE BEFORE THE USUAL TIME

When you get up, set yourself the objective, TODAY I AM NOT GOING TO SMOKE.
Get some exercise breathing fresh air, better outdoors.
Keep busy and modify some of your smoking routines.

STEP 4 Maintenance

KNOW SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS YOU MAY SUFFER

During the first days and even weeks of quitting tobacco, you may be anxious, irritable, nervous, and most likely have an intense desire to smoke, which will appear occasionally on several occasions throughout the day.

These symptoms are part of the withdrawal syndrome and can be intense for the first 3-4 weeks and then they will gradually decrease in intensity, in addition, drug treatment will help you alleviate them.

Avoid the consumption of alcoholic and exciting drinks (coffee, tea, etc.), in fact, vegetables, fruits and whole grains will be your best allies during this period.

TIPS TO STAY SMOKING-FREE

Do physical exercise every day.
Do not go on a strict diet, but control what you eat (avoid “snacking”).

Discover the benefits that quitting tobacco is bringing you, such as, for example, the increase in the ability to do physical exercise, improve your ability to distinguish flavors and smells, you feel free by not depending on tobacco, your clothes do not smell, hair, house or car, it has even improved your physical appearance and the color of your skin.

In case of punctual consumption or relapse, do not hesitate to ask for help from the health professional who provides you with advice to remain abstinent.

And in short, congratulate yourself on each day that you go without smoking!