The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that smoking causes one of every five deaths in the U.S. That’s 480,000 deaths per year, including those that die from secondhand smoke.
Still, around 40 million adults in the U.S alone continue to smoke. Many of which are well-aware of the health risks.
Meanwhile, the number of smokers quitting doesn’t look promising either. In recent years, about 55 percent of smokers have tried quitting. Only eight percent of that number succeeded in doing so.
Quitting is a struggle, especially if a smoker goes through it alone. That’s why having a support system is ideal for guiding them through their cessation journey.
Help your loved ones quit by being there for them and doing the following tips:
Talk About Quitting and Listen
A smoker needs a large amount of courage to talk about quitting. When they do, you must respond positively to encourage them.
Listen and engage. You should make your loved ones feel comfortable sharing their journey with you. The last thing they need is someone dismissing their struggles of quitting.
Make Their Health a Priority
Cigarette smoking remains a danger to many people’s health. It endangers both smokers and non-smokers everywhere.
Sadly, most of the deaths and diseases caused by smoking are preventable. Thus, smokers could save their lives and others by putting their cigarettes out.
Some of the common health issues that smokers could get include:
- Lung cancer
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Despite public warnings about such health issues, many smokers continue to smoke. That’s mainly because of their nicotine addiction.
Nicotine is a known chemical found in tobacco that alters the brain so much a person becomes dependent. The more people smoke, the more they get addicted to nicotine. The harder it is to quit.
Meanwhile, secondhand smoke affects adults and children in different ways. Adults may become at risk of lung cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Children could get severe asthma, acute respiratory infections, and sudden infant death syndrome.
Smoking also creates complications for pregnant women. Women who smoke will have more difficulty becoming pregnant. When they do, they might harm their unborn infant in numerous ways. Plus, smoking tobacco could trigger a miscarriage.
It’s best to be aware of the many health problems that smoking brings. Learning them could help you paint a healthier picture for your loved ones.
Never Scold About Smoking
Nagging a friend or family member about smoking doesn’t help their cessation. It might even stress them out and push them to light cigarettes more.
While checking up on them is good, constantly asking them about smoking might not be the right way to go.
Quitting smoking doesn’t happen overnight. Patience is a significant key.
Never ask them about their smoking intake. Particularly about the number of cigarettes they smoked. Don’t go into an argument when they relapse back into their habits. They might become reluctant to receive care if you irritate them enough.
If they’re being moody, don’t let it affect you. It could be that the person is going through withdrawal.
Provide a Smoking Alternative
Smokers deep into their habit will have a hard time resisting their cravings. The good news is that many alternatives are available to help smokers quit.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) products help address the brain’s nicotine cravings without tobacco’s harmful chemicals. Smokers could try patches, chewing gums, lozenges, inhalers, and sprays.
However, they can try cannabidiol (CBD) cigarettes if they want to stop consuming nicotine completely. CBD cigarettes use a compound sourced from organic hemp. It doesn’t contain any tobacco. Plus, unlike marijuana, CBD doesn’t have the notorious psychoactive effects.
These products provide the same feeling as smoking tobacco cigarettes. However, they don’t contain the same harmful chemicals. That means no nicotine. So, since they’re not addictive, they make an excellent quit-smoking alternative for smokers. They’re also legal to consume in many countries since they don’t contain the same chemicals as marijuana.
Introduce Distractions From Cravings
Apart from tobacco alternatives, you can introduce other replacements for smoking in general.
Smokers must watch out for many triggers, especially if they’ve incorporated cigarettes into various day-to-day activities. An example is their morning coffees or 15-minute work breaks.
Suggest activities they can do instead of smoking during their triggers. They can go for a walk in the morning or during their breaks. They can meditate when they feel stressed out. You can join them too so they’d be motivated to do these things.
Save Lives by Helping Someone Quit
If you know someone trying to quit smoking, support them in any way you can. Smoking isn’t only a danger to them but to other people too.
The journey to smoking cessation is long. However, the right support system can help reduce the struggle of the process.
Be there in every step of someone’s cessation. Help save lives. It’s one of the many benefits of being a quitter.