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Quitting Smoking

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QUIT SMOKING PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET

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QUIT SMOKING PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET The 3 Steps to Quitting Are STEP 1 STEP 2 Getting ready to quit Quitting 5 Change your routine and plan ahead Replace or change activities that you associate with smoking 6 Be active Regular activity is good for your health and helps you to manage stress 7 Think positively You may have withdrawal symptoms once you quit smoking These are positive signs that your body is recovering from the harmful effects of smoking They will disappear once your body gets used to the change 8 Learn to deal with cravings use the 5 D s Delay at least 3 5 minutes and the urge will pass STEP 3 Staying Quit Drink a glass of water or fruit juice Distract yourself move away from the situation Deep breaths breathe slowly and deeply Don t dwell on it 10 Tips To Help You Quit 1 Prepare to quit Weigh up the pros and cons Write down your reasons for quitting and keep them close at hand 2 Set a date to quit Most importantly stick to this date 3 Support Get support from a Stop Smoking Advisor contact the freephone Quitline 1800 201 203 Ask your family and friends for support too 4 Use Nicotine replacement therapy NRT Using nicotine replacement therapy will help relieve withdrawal symptoms 9 Watch what you eat If you are worried about putting on weight be careful about what you eat 10 Take one day at a time Remember every day without smoking is good news for your health your family and your pocket If you slip up all is not lost Set a new date and start again

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Stop smoking for 28 days and you re 5 times more likely to stop for good Some Smoking Facts Some people think that using NRT is just swapping one addiction for another But this isn t true 1 Using NRT doubles your chances of quitting smoking 1 in every 2 people who smoke will die of a tobacco related disease 2 Tobacco smoke contains over 7 000 chemicals These include including tar that can cause cancer heart disease and stroke 3 Smoking can take 10 15 quality years off your life This means that many people who smoke suffer a number of chronic illnesses such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease COPD or heart disease The effects of these illnesses dramatically reduce your quality of life 4 When you smoke you inhale a toxic gas called carbon monoxide This is harmful because it displaces oxygen in the blood thus depriving the heart brain and other vital organs of oxygen 5 Smoking stains your teeth fingers and causes premature ageing It also makes your hair clothes and breath smell Nicotine Replacement Therapy NRT Smoking is addictive which means it can be difficult to quit Nicotine is the ingredient in cigarettes that makes them addictive This is why it can be hard to give up smoking Nicotine replacement therapy NRT is a medication that gives you a low level of nicotine It does not contain the other poisonous chemicals present in tobacco smoke for example tar and carbon monoxide There are many different types of NRT including patches gum lozenges inhalers mouth sprays Your GP pharmacist or Stop Smoking Advisor can help you decide which type of NRT is right for you For NRT to work you must Use it correctly Your Stop Smoking Advisor pharmacist or GP can explain how Use it for long enough Usually 8 to 12 weeks Use enough of it for your level of nicotine addiction If you ve tried one type of NRT before without success don t give up on it completely You may not have used it properly or for long enough Try again and follow the instructions carefully You could also be in a different frame of mind the second time around This can make a huge difference in your attempts to quit for good

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E cigarettes And Quitting Some people consider using e cigarettes as a substitute for smoking or as a support for quitting E cigarettes are still fairly new so we don t yet know how safe they are or if they help people stop smoking Because of this we don t recommend e cigarettes to help you quit smoking If you are planning to quit and want help we can recommend and offer a wide range of safe stop smoking supports If you choose to use an e cigarette when you are quitting you can still avail of the support of the HSE stop smoking services These services are there to help and support you in quitting smoking Need More Advice And Support If you ve tried to quit before remember that many people try a few times before they quit for good Getting help and support increases your chances of success and remember if you stop smoking for 28 days you re 5 times more likely to stop for good Other Resources That May Help Quit text service This service will send you motivational text messages to help keep you focused on your quitting journey The more support you get the greater your chances of success so we would encourage you to access all support options together at the same time Free text QUIT to 50100 Visit www quit ie clinics for more tips on how to give up Call the Quitline on 1800 201 203 to talk to someone who understands and can help you to quit Join www facebook com HSEquit to experience like minded people s stories and share your own Further Information Further information on this and other related topics is readily available from the following resources Irish Cancer Society 43 45 Northumberland Road Dublin 4 Tel 01 231 0500 Fax 01 231 0555 Email helpline irishcancer ie Website www cancer ie National Cancer Helpline 1800 200 700 Beacon Hospital Cancer Centre Beacon Hospital Sandyford Dublin 18 Tel 01 293 6691 Fax 01 293 6657

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Beacon Hospital Sandyford Dublin 18 D18 AK68 Tel 01 293 6600 www beaconhospital ie Version 2 06 2022

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