Helping improve your health by successfully becoming tobacco free! | Sponsored by Pharmasave

Did you know that in 2018 about 4.9 million Canadians, or 15.8% of Canadians ages 12 and older, either smoked cigarettes daily or occasionally?? 

Did you know that the highest number of smokers is not the young teens, but is actually adults aged 20 to 64, and of those more men than women are smokers?

Quitting smoking and becoming tobacco-free is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health and the health of your family and friends.  There are ways to prepare yourself to quit, and a Pharmasave pharmacist can help you understand the benefits of quitting and help you with various tools to make the process easier.

Costs of Smoking:

For people who smoke it can be very expensive to buy various tobacco products like cigarettes, chewing tobacco, cigars, pipe tobacco, etc.  It costs the healthcare system through medications, care costs for smoking-related illnesses, and hospital stays. 

On average, smokers do not live as long as non-smokers and tend to have a premature death 10 years earlier than non-smokers.

The impact of smoking and your health:

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death

• About 45,000 Canadians die each year because of tobacco use (almost 1 in 5 of all deaths which is more than car accidents, homicides, and suicides);
• Smoking affects almost every organ in the body and there is an increased risk for cancer, heart disease, and lung diseases like emphysema, bronchitis, and chronic airway obstruction; 
• Smoking during pregnancy causes lower birth weight babies, premature births, sudden infant death syndrome, and potentially causes long-term effects such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, asthma, and certain childhood cancers.

You don’t have to be a smoker to be at risk…

Secondhand smoke is harmful and can also cause an increased risk of lung infections, heart disease, and cancer risk in loved ones. Children exposed to second-hand smoke may have more ear infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, and severe asthma.

Health Risks of Smoking:

• CANCER

• HEART DISEASE

• LUNG CONDITIONS

• ORAL DISEASES

• DELAYED WOUND HEALING

• PREMATURE SKIN AGING

• SEXUAL FUNCTION

Fortunately, it’s never too late to quit:  

Regardless of age, smokers can substantially reduce the risk of disease by quitting!

Benefits of quitting:

Short-term

There are immediate benefits to quitting smoking, such as :

• Improved breathing and sense of taste

• Decreased risk of heart disease, cancer, lung problems, and infections

Within 20 minutes – blood pressure and heart rate return to normal;

Within 48 hours – Oxygen level in blood returns to normal;

Within 2 weeks – 3 months: Airway relaxes & it’s easier to breathe, circulation improves and there is less phlegm although initially, one might experience more phlegm and couching as the lungs start to clear out all of the particles that have been stuck there because of smoking;

WITHING 6 MONTHS – Symptoms such as coughing, sinus congestion, tiredness, and shortness of breath improve.

Longterm:

Within 1 year – your risk of suffering a smoking-related heart attack is cut in half;

Within 5 years – your risk of having a stroke is the same as a non-smoker;

Within 10-15 years – your risk of dying from lung cancer is much lower. Your risk of getting other cancers is much lower and your risk of having a heart attack is the same as a non-smoker

And don’t forget – your family and friends will be healthier too after you stop smoking!!!

Stages of change and understanding quitting:

Smoking is an addictive behaviour which may be very difficult to change.  Most people go through multiple quitting attempts and interventions. To effectively change a behavior it is important to understand the steps that are involved.

There is a process known as the stages of change model.  Your pharmacist can help determine what stage you or your loved one are in right now and can help you move to the next stage of change.

Precontemplation – This is the first stage.  People in the precontemplation stage are not intending to quit smoking in the next 6 months.  Most smokers are at this stage.

Contemplation – This stage is when you are considering quitting in the next 6 months to a year. You are considering what options are available to help when the time comes.

Preparation – This is the stage where people want to quit in the next month.  It is also the stage where quitting is more successful with the help of counseling and therapy.

Action – This refers to a stage where people have successfully quit (1 day to 6 months)

Maintenance – This means the ex-smoker has remained smoke-free for 6 months to 5 years.

Addiction is complex

There are many factors that influence planning to become tobacco-free. 

 There is a PHYSICAL  addiction that involves a pleasurable effect on the body and often nicotine replacement can help with this part of the process.

There is also a PSYCHOLOGICAL addiction that refers to behavioural changes i.e. hand to mouth motion.

There is also a SPIRITUAL AND SOCIAL component as well which can be different for everyone.

It is important to know what encourages you to smoke and find ways to identify these things and then find solutions to overcoming them 

Make a plan and pick a quit date:

Pick a quit date ideally in the next 2 weeks.

Decide on a method.

Your Pharmasave Pharmacist can help you compare the different methods and quit-smoking services available.

Learn about the method which increases your chance of success.

There is no best way of quitting – different methods work for different people.  

Some people are able to quit suddenly with minimal withdrawal symptoms and others cut back gradually.  Generally, the success rate is usually much higher in people who use aids such as a nicotine patch, gum, or prescription drugs.

The Pharmasave website has lots of easy-to-understand information on becoming tobacco free under the Health tab, Quit Smoking section.  Be sure to check it out.  

You can also ask your Pharmasave Pharmacist for help getting started on your quitting journey.

REMEMBER, IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO QUIT

Talk to your pharmacist today!

Sandra Cox, Pharmasave Owner & Pharmacist, Certified Diabetes Educator, Nutrition Certified PN1, Certified Personal Trainer & Fitness competitor. Sandra owns Pharmasave in downtown Huntsville with her husband Troy Cox.  She has been a CDE for 15 years and specializes in health and fitness.