Advertisement

Home Page

Medicines & Treatments

Symptoms

Tests & Diagnosis

Health Tools

Images & Animations

Forums

 

HEALTH A to Z

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

MEDICAL DICTIONARY

To find the meaning of medical words, search our Medical Dictionary

myDr Symptoms Centre

Find out about common medical signs and symptoms, such as rash, cough, itch, headache, fever, cramps and back pain at the myDr Symptoms Centre.

myDr Health Images

For Health Professionals

myDr Site Builder

Click here to administer your website

Quitting smoking

Encourage smokers to break the habit

An increasing number of people are giving up smoking and feeling the benefits. A number of studies have shown that most smokers would like to stop and that many have tried and failed. They should be encouraged; most people who finally quit have tried more than once before succeeding.

There is no simple way to break the habit. Some smokers just stop, while others need help. This might come from the use of nicotine replacement through chewing gum or stick-on patches. There are also prescription medicines available (e.g. Zyban and Champix) that can help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Hypnotherapy and acupuncture have helped many.

Some hints to help you quit

If you are thinking of trying to stop, here are some helpful tips.

  • Pick a time when your life is ‘normal’, with no major events or stresses likely.
  • Choose a date in advance and tell your family and friends.
  • Stop in the morning and have a good breakfast.
  • Avoid temptation such as pubs, clubs and friends who smoke.
  • Reward yourself frequently for the first few days. New clothes, a massage or a new hairdo are good rewards.
  • Avoid your usual ‘trigger factors’ such as alcohol, drinking coffee, chatting on the telephone.
  • Change your routines.
  • Take more exercise.
  • When you feel like a cigarette drink a glass of water or eat a sweet.
  • Watch your weight, but don't worry too much if you put a bit on at first. It will come off later when you settle into life as a non-smoker.
  • Keep reminding yourself about the money you are saving and the longer, healthier life you can expect.

The ‘buddy’ system can make quitting twice as easy

In a stop-smoking program in the United Kingdom, the use of a ‘buddy’ system more than doubled the success rate. If you want to quit smoking find someone else who also wants to stop. You don't need to know them well; you might advertise at work or through friends. Ring each other at least once a day for support.

And remember—however many times you have already tried unsuccessfully to stop in the past, the next attempt might be the one that brings success. The first 2 weeks are the hardest. You can do it!


 

Sponsored links

Search for
Health Information

Find a
Health Professional



Advertisement

Follow myDr website on twitter

MEDICINES

 bottle pills

Find out more about your medicines

Search Australia's largest database of Consumer Medicine Information

Health story - Meningitis

Sophie and Beth Read Beth's first-hand account of pneumococcal meningitis in her 7-month-old baby.

Health Story - Breast Cancer

Read Valerie's motivational story about how she dealt with breast cancer
tulip