Smoking – why quit?

There are lots of important reasons to quit. Here are a few health benefits:

• Smokers who do not quit have a 1 in 2 chance of dying of a smoking-related illness – most commonly lung cancer and other lung disease such as emphysema, heart disease and stroke.
• Smoking is a major cause of blindness.
• Smoking starves your skin of oxygen making it dry and grey. You develop wrinkles around your eyes and mouth much earlier, and the tar stains your teeth and fingers.
• Quitting can improve mood, and help relieve stress, anxiety and depression.
• Your sense of smell and taste will get better.
• Quitting smoking is a challenge. Once you have set the goal to quit and succeeded, you will feel really proud of yourself. Quitting helps you take on other challenges.

Image credit: Heart Foundation, NZ

Recent research involving a large group of people followed up for 20 years found that the sooner people quit smoking, the less likely they were to die from smoking-related conditions eg, cancer, cardiovascular disease and lower respiratory disease. Those who stopped under the age of 35 years were able to completely reverse the mortality risks (risks of dying) associated with smoking. So the sooner you quit the better it will be for you and your whānau.

Smoking not only affects you but also damages the health of those around you, your fertility and your unborn child if you are pregnant. If you are pregnant, it is vital for your baby's health that you stop smoking. Read about smoking and pregnancy and being smoke free for your children.

Learn about all the nasties that exist in a cigarette(external link) it may put you off smoking for good.

Use the interactive tool What is smoking doing to your body?(external link) developed by Smokefree Aotearoa NZ to learn how smoking damages your health and the health of your whānau.

Fancy some extra money? An average packet of cigarettes now costs more than $30. If you smoke a pack a day then you will spend more than $12,000 a year on cigarettes.

Image credit: Te Hiringa Hauora, NZ & Smokefree Aotearoa NZ

Work out how much you could save each year by not smoking by using the smoking cost calculator.(external link)  

(external link) 

Video: What is the Single Best Thing You Can Do to Quit Smoking?

Dr Mike Evans explains the different stages of quitting smoking, why people enjoy smoking and what you can do to increase your chances of quitting. This video may take a few moments to load.

(Michael Evans and Mercury Films Inc, Canada, 2012)

Video: Quit for your pets

Our pets aren’t just animals; they’re whānau. Smoking around them may not seem like a big deal, but it has a bigger impact on their health than you might think. This video may take a few moments to load.

(Quitline, NZ, 2019)

Video: Tobacco is not our whakapapa

This video may take a few moments to load.

(Hapai Te Hauora Tapui, NZ, 2019)

Media Release: Whakapapa narratives are a key component to address tobacco-related harm(external link) Hapai Te Hauora, 21 November 2019 

Video: What Our Pacific Kids think about Smoking - Pacific Heartbeat

The inspirational voices of beautiful Pacific children about why it's important to quit smoking. This video may take a few moments to load.

(Pacific Heartbeat – Heart Foundation, NZ, 2014) 

1. Set your quit date

The first step to becoming smokefree is to choose when you want to quit. Give yourself time to prepare but don't put it off too long. Picking a date too far away gives you time to change your mind or become less motivated. Choose a date that is no more than a week or two away. 

Take one day at a time. Mark off each successful day on a calendar. Look at it when you feel tempted to smoke, and tell yourself you don't want to start all over again.

2. List your reasons for quitting

Write a list of your reasons for becoming smokefree and keep the list with you as a constant reminder of the reasons to stop and the benefits you will enjoy. For example: to improve my health, to save money, for my children. If you have tried to quit before, remember what worked and what has not worked.

3. Get your whānau and friends involved

Quitting smoking is easier when your friends and whānau are on board. It's helpful having someone to call to keep you motivated when you have those strong urges and cravings. If they don't want to quit or aren't ready to quit, make some rules like not offering you cigarettes or leaving them lying around for you to be tempted.

4. Reduce the cravings

Nicotine is very addictive. There are lots of treatments available that can help replace the nicotine such as nicotine replacement therapy. Read about treatments here.

5. Handle the urge to smoke

Avoid triggers or situations that make you want to smoke and make a plan if you are tempted to smoke. Triggers might include social triggers, emotional triggers or habits such as having a cigarette with your coffee. Have some back up activities such as walking around the block, doing a quick house chore, breathing deeply and being mindful or phoning a friend. 

6. Reach out for professional help

Talk to your doctor, nurse or support person about help with quitting including quit treatments and support programmes. Using quit treatments together with support programmes increases your chances of successfully quitting considerably.

7. Reward yourself

Be kind to yourself during this time. This could be going for that walk or run that you found it difficult to do before you quit or spending some of the money that you've saved from quitting.

8. Be prepared for withdrawal symptoms

When you stop smoking, you are likely to get symptoms which may include feeling sick (nausea), headaches, anxiety, irritability, craving, and just feeling awful. These symptoms are caused by the lack of nicotine that your body has been used to. They tend to peak after 12-24 hours and then gradually ease over 2-4 weeks.

Some people worry about gaining weight when they give up smoking, as the appetite may improve. Anticipate an increase in appetite and try not to increase fatty or sugary foods as snacks. Try fruit and sugar-free gum instead.

Good luck. Throw away all your cigarettes before you start. Remember, there is never “just 1 cigarette”. You can do it! 

To find a stop smoking service within your area, use the location filter under the map (mobile view) or at the bottom of the search results (computer view).

Source: HealthPoint services directory used with permission.