Tips to help you quit smoking

Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Smoking by those who are infected with HIV is strongly discouraged. Don't let another year go up in smoke. If you're a smoker and want to quit, here is some help in beating the allure of the weed.

1. Don't smoke any number or any kind of cigarette. Smoking even a few cigarettes a day can hurt your health. If you try to smoke fewer cigarettes, but do not stop completely, soon you'll be smoking the same amount again.

Smoking "low-tar, low-nicotine" cigarettes usually does little good, either. Because nicotine is so addictive, if you switch to lower-nicotine brands you'll likely just puff harder, longer, and more often on each cigarette. The only safe choice is to quit completely.

2. Write down why you want to quit. Do you want . . .
� to feel in control of you life?
� to have better health?
� to set a good example for your children?
� to protect your family from breathing other people's smoke?

Really wanting to quit smoking is very important to how much success you will have in quitting. Smokers who live after a heart attack are the most likely to quit for good. They're very motivated. Find a reason for quitting before you have no choice.

3. Know that it will take effort to quit smoking. Nicotine is habit forming. Half of the battle in quitting is knowing you need to quit. This knowledge will help you be more able to deal with the symptoms of withdrawal that can occur, such as bad moods and really wanting to smoke. There are many ways smokers quit, including using nicotine replacement products (gum and patches), but there is no easy way. Nearly all smokers have some feelings of nicotine withdrawal when they try to quit. Give yourself a month to get over these feelings. Take quitting one day at a time, even one minute at a time . . . whatever you need to succeed.

4. Half of all adult smokers have quit, so you can, too. That's the good news. There are millions of people alive today who have learned to face life without a cigarette. For staying healthy, quitting smoking is the best step you can take.

5. Get help if you need it. Many groups offer written materials, programs, and advice to help smokers quit for good. Your doctor or dentist is also a good source of help and support.

The following national groups have toll-free telephone numbers for information and resources:

� Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. Call 1-800-358-9295 a "You Can Quit Smoking" consumer guide.
� American Cancer Society: 1-800-ACS-2345
� American Heart Association: 1-800-AHA-USA1
� American Lung Association: 1-800-LUNG-USA
� Office on Smoking and Health: 1-800-CDC-1311
� National Cancer Institute: 1-800-4-CANCER

For more information about quitting, see these web sites:

www.quitsmokingsupport.com/

www.cdc.gov/tobacco/

www.tobaccofree.org/quitting.html

Also check these sites:

Unofficial site of Gulf Coast Community Care

"21st century HIV" Ezine

email: [email protected]