Give fags the flick on World No Tobacco Day
Monday is World No Tobacco Day 2010 and Hunter New England Health is encouraging people to use the day as an opportunity to quit smoking and improve their health.
Hunter New England Health Smoke-free coordinator Jenny Knight said tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the world.
“Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for several diseases, including heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. It is the largest single preventable cause of premature mortality and illness,” Ms Knight said.
“Of the 6,967 people who died in HNE Health region in 2006, nearly one in seven was due to smoking. This means that on average at least one person dies every 10 hours due to tobacco smoking in the region.”
Ms Knight said the emphasis of this year’s World No Tobacco Day was encouraging women to quit smoking.
“While more men than women are smokers it appears that male rates of smoking have peaked while female rates are on the rise. What we are finding especially troubling is the rising number of young girls who are taking up smoking,” Ms Knight said.
“Women who smoke are at risk of a number of female-specific health concerns on top of the health impacts that affect male smokers.
“These include cervical cancer, osteoporosis, reduced fertility and complications with pregnancy.”
The good news is that it is possible to quit smoking and the benefits of quitting are immense for anyone who does.
“Within a month, your circulation and blood pressure will have improved. Within a year you will have reduced your risk of having a heart attack by half and within 10 years your risk of dying from lung cancer will have halved,” Ms Knight said.
“About 80 per cent of smokers want to quit. We are here to help them join the growing trend and make World No Tobacco Day their day to quit,” Ms Knight said.
“A good start for smokers wanting to quit is to call the Quitline on 137 848 (13QUIT). Callers will receive a Quit Kit, access to trained counsellors and referrals to local services and ongoing support.”
• Call the Quitline on 131 848 and talk to a counsellor who is trained in supporting you to quit smoking.
• Get organised: Write a list of reasons for quitting, as well as a list of triggers that you know could make you crave cigarettes. Develop a plan for how to avoid those triggers.
• Ask a friend to be your support person. Call them if you have a craving or you just need to talk it through with someone.
• Use nicotine replacement therapies (NRT): Using NRT patches, gum, lozenges or inhalers is a smart move and can double your chances of succeeding.
• Have a list of all your reasons for quitting with you at all times and repeat them to yourself at least once a day.
• Make your car and home smoke free. It will help break familiar patterns of lighting up either when you get into in the car or when you reach home.
• Make specific plans of how you will deal with cravings. Try things like going for a short walk, talking to a friend, or visualising a beautiful landscape.
• Ask people not to smoke around you, offer you a cigarette, or tease you about not smoking.
• Avoid other people's smoke.
• Avoid alcohol - it can weaken your resolve.
• Reward yourself. Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things you will ever do. Make sure you congratulate yourself for every day that you remain smoke-free.
• After a month, try to calculate how much you would have saved and go and spend it on yourself.
• If you have slipped up by having one cigarette. Don't give up. Try again.
• Keep taking it a day at a time - each day without a cigarette is good news for your health.
Contact: Sharna McCarthy
Phone: 4921 4501