Any day is a good day to quit smoking
There certainly is a great deal of awareness at the local, national and global level around smoking, secondhand smoke and the associated health risks.
Every year, the World Health Organization celebrates World No Tobacco Day. On a national level, we celebrate The Great American Smoke Out and Kick Butts Day.
On the local level, public health advocates work in schools and at local community events to provide resources and education on the dangers of starting to smoke, the benefits of quitting and the health impact of secondhand smoke, sometimes called environmental tobacco smoke.
Make no mistake, quitting smoking is not easy. That is the downside of starting. Research shows 75 percent of smokers want to quit. With support and motivation from family, friends and no-smoking policies in the community, smokers can quit and enjoy a healthier lifestyle and quality of life.
Within 20 minutes of quitting, your blood pressure, pulse rate and body temperature return to normal. After eight hours, your blood carbon-monoxide level drops and your blood-oxygen level increases to normal.
In just 24 hours of quitting, your chances of having a heart attack decrease, your nerve endings start to recover, and your senses of taste and smell greatly improve. Shortly after that, your breathing gets easier, energy levels increase, circulation improves, walking gets easier and your lungs begin to work better. Added benefits keep on coming.
Quitting smoking is the greatest single step you can take to improve your health. It doesn’t matter how long you have been smoking, how old you are or how bad your health is — quitting smoking has major and immediate benefits for everybody.
So if you need a little motivation to quit, you don’t have to wait for The Great American Smoke Out, World No Tobacco Day or Kick Butts Day. Any day is a good day to try quitting.
You can start by calling the California Smokers’ Helpline at 1-800-NO-BUTTS. This free counseling service provides trained counselors who can help you make a plan and support your quitting attempt. They are trained in 10 different languages. They know what you are going through and are there to help you succeed.
Quit for yourself. Quit for your family. Quit for your children. Quit for all of us who want to avoid secondhand smoke. It is the right thing to do. It is never too late.
Good Luck!
Richard Salazar is a tobacco prevention advocate at Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance.
From santacruzsentinel.com, June 21st, 2010, by Richard Salazar