InFluential_Magazine_March_April_2017

influential-magazine.com
T
here are now more former
cigarette smokers
than current smokers in the United
States, and more than half of
all people who have ever smoked
have quit, according to the CDC.
If you’re still smoking and would
like to quit, you’re not alone.
Nearly seven out of 10 cigarette
smokers want to quit for good.
Although each person’s journey
to a tobacco-free life is different,
knowing what’s worked for others
could help you find what works
for you. Participants from CDC’s
Tips From Former Smokers(TM)
campaign share what worked
best for them in their journeys to
quitting smoking.
Choose a Quit Date
and Support Team
Tiffany Roberson, 35, of Louisiana
started smoking when she was just
19, despite having watched her
own mother, a smoker, die of lung
cancer. Over the years, Roberson
tried to quit multiple times but
struggled to stay quit for good.
When her own daughter turned
16, she was inspired to try again.
This time, a combination of tactics
helped her succeed.
• A nicotine patch helped control
her cravings. She chose it because it
was discrete and easy to use.
• She chose a quit date. To avoid
the temptation to smoke, she
stayed busy on that day.
SINCE THE SURGEON GENERAL RELEASED
THE FIRST REPORT ON SMOKING IN 1964,
THE SMOKING RATE AMONG ADULTS HAS
DECREASED FROM 42 PERCENT TO 15 PERCENT.
THOUGH GREAT STRIDES HAVE BEEN MADE,
MORE THAN 36 MILLION ADULTS IN
THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO SMOKE
CIGARETTES, CLAIMING NEARLY HALF
A MILLION LIVES A YEAR AND LEAVING
16 MILLION OTHERS TO LIVE WITH AN ILLNESS
OR DISEASE CAUSED BY SMOKING.
• She told her daughter and
another relative she was quitting
so she would be accountable for
staying smoke-free. Her relatives
supported her with a daily text of
encouragement, noting the day
of her progress-”Day 2 without
smoking” and, eventually, “Day 365
without smoking.”
• During work breaks, she drank
water instead of smoking.
Create Accountability
Beatrice Rosa-Swerbilov, 40,
from New York tried her first
cigarette at just 7 years old, and
became a regular smoker at age 13.
Although she had tried many times
before, she quit for good after her
11-year-old son wrote her a letter
asking her to quit smoking. Here are
her success strategies.
• Avoiding triggers-things or
situations that made her crave a
cigarette. For example, going out
MARCH / APRIL 2017
FLUENTIAL
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