A to Z Program

A to Z Program Smoke Less America is a nonprofit corporation which was founded by a retired fire fighter who recognized the need for America to smoke less and invest the money saved in youth parks and youth programs to help the kids of today become the smokeless adults of tomorrow. In addition, Smoke Less America has developed a program for helping those adults who already smoke and want to quit. We realize that quitting an addictive habit like smoking cigarettes can be a difficult thing, and some people need a little help. That's why we're here. Smoking. Smoking is a perfect example of acceptance syndrome. When smoking cigarettes was introduced to the United States, a carefully constructed program was put into action to make the American public not only accept smoking, but to incorporate it into their daily lives. When smoking first became wide spread, all of the harmful side effects weren=t known. People were persuaded to smoke by advertisements which made smoking seem to be a great thing, purely enjoyable and free from harm. Now, we know the true story Smoking cigarettes can cause a multitude of physical ailments. Research has shown a direct link between smoking and cancer of the mouth, throat and sinuses, lung cancer and emphysema. Smoking increases your chances of having a heart attack, a stroke, or falling victim to angina (an affliction caused from inadequate oxygen to the heart). Smoking also affects those who are around you. Exhaled toxins from cigarettes, so called "second-hand smoke, were categorized in 1990 by the Environmental Protection Agency as a Group A carcinogen, a substance that causes cancer in humans. The Dangers of Smoking Cigarette smoking, like alcohol and narcotics, causes mental as well as physical addictions. Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to man. It's no wonder that some people have a hard time quitting smoking. Cigarette smoking is a Complex habit. There are many different reasons why different people keep smoking even when they know it is harmful for themselves and those around them. When a person attempts to refrain from using a powerful addictive drug, most people realize that it is something they cant do on their own. The undertaking is just too big for one person to do alone. You need information about what smoking does, what methods are available for quitting, how you should go about quitting, what you can expect when you are in the process of quitting, and what you can do to reduce the stress of withdrawal and the difficulty of quitting. That's where Smoke Less America comes in. We have developed an all encompassing program that helps you realize what kind of smoker you are, and what methods of quitting would work best for you. We provide you with the knowledge and the tools you will need to stop smoking with as little stress as possible. It is important for you to realize the reasons why you smoke. If you don't know why you smoke, it is really difficult to try to quit: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has devised a testing procedure to determine what kind of smoker you are. Fill out the following test. It lists some statements often made by smokers to describe what they get out of smoking cigarettes. A frequency scale is printed next to each question. Simply circle the number closest to your own response to each statement; 5 meaning 'always' and 1 meaning never. Remember, when filling out the test, 1 stands for 'Never' and 5 stands for 'Always'! Never.... Sometimes....Always A.) I smoke cigarettes in order to keep myself from slowing down. 1 2 3 4 5 B.) Handling a cigarette is part of the enjoyment of smoking it. 1 2 3 4 5 C.) Smoking cigarettes is pleasant and relaxing. 1 2 3 4 5 D.) I light up a cigarette when I feel angry about something. 1 2 3 4 5 E.) When I have run out of cigarettes I find it almost unbearable until I can get them. 1 2 3 4 5 F.) I smoke cigarettes automatically without even being aware of it. 1 2 3 4 5 G.) I smoke cigarettes to stimulate me, to perk myself up. I 2 3 4 5 H.) Part of the enjoyment of smoking a cigarette comes from the step I take to light up. I 2 3 4 5 I.) I find cigarettes pleasurable. 1 2 3 4 5 J.) When I feel uncomfortable or upset about something, I light up a cigarette. 1 2 3 4 5 K.) I am very much aware of the fact when I am not smoking a cigarette. 1 2 3 4 5 L.) I light up a cigarette without realizing I still have one burning in the ashtray. 1 2 3 4 5 M.) I smoke cigarettes to give me a "lift". 1 2 3 4 5 N.) When I smoke a cigarette, part of the enjoyment is watching the smoke as I exhale it. 1 2 3 4 5 O.) I want a cigarette most when I am comfortable and relaxed. 1 2 3 4 5 P.) When I feel "blue" or want to take my mind off cares and worries, I smoke cigarettes. 1 2 3 4 5 Q.) I get a real gnawing hunger for a cigarette when I haven't smoked for a while. 1 2 3 4 5 R.) I=ve found a cigarette in my mouth and didn't remember putting it there. 1 2 3 4 5 When you have completed the entire form, add across the 3 columns to get your totals. The total A, G, and M, for example, gives you the total on Stimulation. A + G + M = Stimulation B + H + N = Handling C + I + O = Pleasurable Relaxation D + J + P = Tension Reduction E + K + Q = Craving: Psychological Addiction Habit F + L + R = Scores may vary from 3 to 11. Any score that is at 11 or more is considered high. Any score that is at 7 or below is considered to be low. The six areas covered by this questionnaire measure the strength of your motivation for smoking. These areas are: Stimulation Handling Pleasurable Relaxation Tension Reduction Craving Habit You may have scored high in one, two or more of these categories, or you may have scored low in all of them. If you scored over 11 in more than one area, you should consider yourself to have more than one motivation for smoking. You should use the methods described for your category. Six Types of Smoking Motivation Smoke Less America recognizes six different types of motivation for smoking. Each motivation has its own special characteristics. When you are in the process of quitting smoking, remember the types of motivation that apply to you in order to make quitting smoking less stressful. Smoking Motivations I. Stimulation People in this category tend to smoke in order to get going. Most often, they smoke in the morning to wake up and at different times during the day to energize themselves. When they smoke they feel they can think more clearly, organize their thoughts and energy better. If you tested into this category, you should try alternative activities which will be a safe substitute. Some examples of smoking alternatives are taking a brisk walk, going swimming, in-door jogging, or aerobic workouts. II. Handling For people in this category the ritual of handling cigarettes is a source of enjoyment. The smell of a lit cigarette is pleasant to individuals in this category. These people like the act of lighting a match or activating a lighter. Mainly, they enjoy having something to do with their hands. If this is a significant category for you, you will need to keep your hands busy. Try doodling or drawing, playing with a coin or a special piece of jewelry, rubber band or a pen. Smoke Less America includes a cigarette shaped pencil in this packet, we suggest you use it. III. Pleasurable Relaxation If you tested into this category, you are fortunate, as people in this classification smoke because they derive a real pleasure from smoking. Similar to category II Handling, they enjoy the act of lighting up a cigarette, but in addition, people in this category smoke to increase their enjoyment of a situation. For example, people who smoke after eating a delicious meal, smoke to increase their enjoyment. For people in this category, trying to quit is often no more complicated than honestly considering the harmful effects of smoking and realizing that smoking will hurt them. Substitute other activities which are enjoyable rather than smoking. For example, you could try social activities, exercise, or eating delicious foods. You will, however, need to exercise moderation in all of these substitute activities. Smoking Motivations IV. Tension Reduction This category is for those people who smoke as a way to lessen stress or discomfort. People in this category use cigarettes as a tranquilizer. If this is a significant category or you, you should attempt to quit when you have the least amount of stress in your life. Once again, you should try to find alternative activities to replace cigarettes. Keep in mind that you smoke to avoid experiencing negative feelings. Any activity you choose will have to be one that is easily accessible. For example, you might want to try the relaxation techniques described later in this packet, or you may wish to start a new hobby V. Craving If you tested into this category, quitting smoking will require more preparation than for people in other categories. You may find yourself craving another cigarette as soon as you have put your last one out. We strongly recommend that you try quitting cold turkey. Gradual reduction may be too stressful for you. Two days before you quit, try to smoke more than you usually do. This spoils the taste of cigarettes for you for awhile, then isolate yourself from smoking as much as you can. Avoid social activities that will put you in Close proximity of other people who are smoking. Make sure you have removed all reminders of cigarettes from your home, all ash trays, lighters, etc. You may even want to try having the carpets and your clothes thoroughly cleaned to rid yourself of left-over cigarette smoke. VI. Habit People in this category no longer derive a real sense of satisfaction from smoking, they have just established a strong habit. You may often find yourself lighting up without realizing it. You may want to try gradual reduction to quit. Become aware of each cigarette you smoke. Do anything that will break up your pattern in smoking; keep your cigarettes in a different pocket or don=t carry a lighter or matches. Now that you have a better idea of What motivates you to smoke it should be easier for you to quit. Keep in mind these categories are only a guide line. If you feel that another category sounds more like who you are or you prefer the methods suggested for quitting in a different category, go with what you feel. No test can know more about you than what you already know, so rely on your own judgement. Congratulations on choosing to quit smoking. It's a very, difficult decision to make, but you made the right choice. You should already know several reasons why you should quit (after all, those are some of the reasons that helped you make your decision), so now we are going to move directly to the program itself. Methods of Quitting There are two different methods we recommend to quit smoking; Cold Turkey and Gradual Reduction. Both are proven to be effective for people with different types of compulsion for smoking. The first method, Cold Turkey, is the best way to quit smoking for people with specific types of compulsion. Cold Turkey is an uncomplicated system, simply pick a day that will be your last smoking day, and from then on, never smoke again. If you tested into Category Three: Pleasurable Relaxation, Category Four: Reduction of Negative Feelings, or Category Five: Psychological Addiction, quitting cold turkey is probably going to be more beneficial to you. People in Category Three tend to smoke because it feels good to them. They simply enjoy smoking for its own sake and not necessarily to keep from feeling bad or because they crave a cigarette. People in Category Four smoke during moments of stress or discomfort. They use cigarettes to keep from feeling bad. Finally, most people in Category Five feel the urge to smoke a cigarette as soon as the last cigarette has been put out. So called 'chain smokers' fall into this category. If you tested into Category One: Stimulation, Category Two: Handling, or Category Six: Habit, a gradual reduction in smoking might be a better course for you. People in Category One smoke to wake up, to organize their thoughts and energies, and to keep going. People in Category Two smoke because they enjoy the act of smoking, the mere ritual aspect of lighting up a cigarette or the feeling of holding a cigarette in their fingers. They enjoy doing Something with their hands. People in Category Six tend to smoke out of habit. Smoking is no longer very satisfying and they just keep lighting up without really realizing what they are doing. If you tested into any of these categories, gradual reduction may be the key to success. If you tested into two or more categories that call for differing methods of quitting, use your own judgment about what would be best for you. Even if you tested in several categories that call for one method of quitting and you feel more comfortable with another method, go with the method you prefer. These are general guidelines, research has shown that most people in these groups where more successful using a specific method of quitting. However, each person is an individual and those differences can make all the difference. The main thing is to try and quit smoking in a way you feel will work best for you. Quitting Cold Turkey Most successful ex-smokers quit cold turkey. It doesn't take more or less will power to quit cold turkey than gradual reduction. Quitting cold turkey requires less attention to schedules, keeping track of how many cigarettes you've had that clay or whether or not you've gone over your limit for the day. To quit cold turkey, pick a day as your Quit Day. The first few days before the quit day, smoke more than you normally smoke. This causes the body to feel overwhelmed. Your natural resistance to smoking will be weakened, and your body will want~a break from cigarettes. The night before your quit day, throw out all your ashtrays, cigarettes, matches, and lighters. Quitting cold turkey isn't easy. It requires a higher level of conviction and courage. Even though most successful ex-smokers quit cold turkey, many people who try to quit cold turkey, have a relapse and feel they can never quit. This isn't the method for everyone. If you have a set back or two, don't feel that you have failed, just make sure that you keep trying. Gradual Reduction For people who are anxious about quitting, gradual reduction may be the method for you. There are two different ways to utilize gradual reduction; Quantity and Delay. Quantity reduction means that you smoke fewer and fewer cigarettes until you have weaned yourself off them. Keep track of how many cigarettes you smoke. Then pick a clay to be your Start Day and your official Quit day. Your Start Day is the clay you start to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke. Your Quit day is the day that you plan to have no more cigarettes. Delay Reduction is a system whereby you set a specific time in which you will not smoke. For example you choose 9:00 am as your first delay time. That means you can't have .a cigarette until after 9:00 am. Each day the delay is postponed two or three hours. The next day you wouldn't be allowed to have a cigarette until 11:00 am or noon. Soon your delay time reaches the time you are usually asleep and you are going for twenty-four hours without a cigarette. The process of reduction should not take more than five days at the most. Stretching the reduction period for longer than five days will actually do you more harm than good, you will become motivated to avoid quitting. Remember, choose the method best suited to you. Which ever method seems most comfortable is the one you should choose. The important part is that once you have made a decision, stick with it and keep trying. Schedule For Quitting The Smoke Less America Program takes approximately three weeks. In that time you will experience a wide variety of physical symptoms, psycho-logical reactions and behavioral changes. Smoke Less America will help you through the rough times ahead by giving you forewarning about what you can expect. A relative time table as to how long specific stages of quitting will last and how to counteract and combat the stress and difficulty of quitting. We suggest that you pick a Friday to begin quitting. This allows you the week-end to focus on your first few days of quitting, the time when you need to have undivided attention to focus on your new change of habit. Changing Your Behavior You have to realize that no matter why you smoke, you have to make changes in your behavior. Whether you smoke because you enjoy the sensations, use cigarettes to keep going, to keep from feeling down, or just as a reflex habit, you're going to have to change your behavior. Write down when you smoke and when you are most inclined to smoke. For example; after dinner, while driving, when watching T.V., at parties, during work, etc. Then write down some of the alterative activities we have listed which you can do to occupy those times. Behavioral Log Previous Smoking Times 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Substitute Activities What To Expect Over the next few days you will probably experience some discomfort, be it physical or psychological. Smokers report a number of different withdrawal symptoms. By far, the most common symptom is a craving for cigarettes. The best way to handle cravings is to ignore it, try to engage in activities which don't permit you to smoke, like going to a library, a movie or taking a shower. You not only keep from dwelling on the craving to smoke, but it diverts your attention and keeps your mind busy. Avoid situations where you are used to Smoking and have developed a strong association. For example, if you are used to smoking after dinner, get up from the table immediately and go some place where smoking is not allowed. Usually, each instance of craving lasts for two minutes, and most likely will be much less. Divert your attention for those first few moments, and you re home free. Another thing to keep in mind is, these cravings will get weaker and weaker over the first few days and after a week to ten days, they will have disappeared all together. Another symptom is tension, usually due to a temporary increase in stress during the process of quitting. There are many ways to deal with tension, both physical and psychological. You may use which ever method is most comfortable for you, or you can use all of them, which ever works best for you. There are three methods of psychological methods to combat tension; Visualization, Self Counseling and Affirmation. Visualization is a technique that involves imagining a setting or situation which will relax the mind and in turn, relax the body. Here is an example of a Visualization-Relaxation Routine: find a quiet place to sit comfortably (a place where you won t be interrupted), let your muscles go limp, letting the floor or chair support you. Close your eyes and take four long, slow deep breaths. Now imagine a distant lake, deep and blue with a gentle wind blowing. The sky is clear with a few white fleecy clouds drifting about. Around the lake there are green meadows, there is the scent of wild flowers carried by the breeze which is making ripples in the lush grass. Now picture yourself relaxing by the lake, the sun light is golden and warm. You feel relaxed and completely at ease. Take four more deep breaths, and open your eyes, you should now feel soothed and relaxed. You can try this with any setting which you believe to be soothing. If you are an avid golfer, picture Yourself at your favorite golf course with perfect weather and you are playing at your best. Be sure to include as many senses as you can in your visualization. Imagine what you would see, hear, touch, smell and taste. Self counseling is a method to interpret the symptoms you are feeling in a way that is not disruptive or stressful. For example, some people, when they quit smoking feel light headed. When you quit smoking, your lungs have a greater supply of oxygen. Consequently, more oxygen reaches the brain. After a week or two the brain will become accustomed to this new level of oxygen and the feeling of being lightheaded will pass. If you view feeling lightheaded as unpleasant, disagreeable and annoying, quitting smoking will be more stressful for you. If you take time to view this as a pleasant euphoric sensation, you will experience less stress. Try to do this with any symptoms that might arise. Positive thinking will produce positive emotions. Affirmation is a method utilizing positive reinforcement. If you experience tension, stress or craving, repeat to yourself a positive phrase or motto. Examples of a positive phrase would be "I am strong. I will succeed.", "I will not fail." or even "How great I am." Repeat this phrase five times in the morning when you awake, before you eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and when you go to bed. Anytime you experience discomfort or craving repeat your phrase five times or until the feeling passes. Another symptom you experience is an increase in coughing after you have quit smoking, Along the lining of your lungs there are thousands of tiny cilia that continually sweep the air you inhale to remove dust particles and other foreign matter. If you smoke for a long enough period of time, the cilia become paralyzed and can only work at night when you are sleeping. When you quit smoking, your cilia not only start to work again, but has to work twice as hard to clean out your lungs. When your longs are clean, your cilia will go back to a normal level of activity and the coughing will cease. This may take several weeks, so don t lose your patience. It is a sign that your body is healing itself. Methods to Combat Withdrawal Symptoms Besides the methods outlined above, there are a few more techniques to reduce any discomfort you might experience during the first few weeks after you quit; Deep Breathing, Muscle Relaxation. Deep Breathing is a little more complicated than you might at first think. You need to stand, with your feet about the same distance apart as your shoulders. Close your eyes, and let your head dip forward. Now, slowly inhale through your nose, slowly raising your head as your chest and abdomen expand. When you have inhaled as much as you can and still be comfortable, your head should be in it s normal position. Hold your breath gently. Then exhale slowly out through your mouth, letting your head gently roll back down. When you have exhaled almost all of your breath, gently lift your head back to its original position. Repeat this five times, taking your time as you cycle through each motion. If you feel dizzy, stop for awhile. When you are on your fifth time through, slowly open your eyes as you lift your head. Muscle Relaxation is a good way to get rid of tension or stiffness in your muscles. If you have any type of injury to your muscles, or a condition such as muscle strain or something similar, you should refrain from stressing your muscles. First, sit comfortably in a chair which has arm rests and a high back. Close your eyes. Starting at your feet, focus your attention ,on them. Tense all the muscles in your feet, and hold for a few seconds. Don t hold your breath, keep breathing slowly and steadily. Then let your muscles go limp and relax your feet. Notice how much better your muscles feel when they are relaxed than when they are tense. Now do the same thing with your legs, working your way up, focusing on your calves, and then your thighs, and finally your buttocks. You can do each leg separately or at the same time if you wish. Now tense your hands, clench them into a fist or spread your fingers wide. Then relax them. Move up your arms, your forearms, your biceps, and up to your shoulders. Now tense your chest muscles and let them relax. Do the same for your back. Finally, tense your stomach muscles, keep them tensed longer than you have any other muscle group. Then let them relax. Feel how relaxed your entire body feels, you are calm and at ease. Take a few more deep breaths and then open your eyes. You will feel refreshed and re-energized. Strategies To Handle Unwanted Side-Effects Now we're going to discuss the possible unpleasant side of quitting smoking. Some people experience changes in their behavior that are unhealthy. Far and away the two most common of these are weight gain and increased alcohol consumption. You may have heard that if you quit smoking, you will inevitably gain weight. This isn t true. It is true that some people do gain weight when they quit smoking,' but this happens for very specific reasons. You may feel a need to have something in your mouth to replace cigarettes, since your health has improved you may have an increased appetite, your sense of taste will improve and food will taste better, you may be rewarding yourself with food for doing well. You can prevent all of these things from resulting in a weight gain by planning ahead. If you feel the need to replace the feeling of having a cigarette in your mouth with food, use foods that are healthy and wont lead to weight gain. Try carrot sticks, celery, cinnamon sticks, bread sticks, crackers, sugarless gum, or any other low calorie foods which you like. You may also want to try holding a tooth pick in your mouth, or our cigarette shaped pencil made with non-toxic paint ( don't chew on it though, we don't want you, to get splinters). Stay away from rewarding yourself with fattening foods. Don t eat fried foods. Above all else, stay away from starchy and spicy foods. They are not only fattening, but they will trigger a craving for cigarettes. Plan your diet before you get hungry, include lean meat and fish. Eat as much fresh fruits and vegetables as you want. Try to have a salad or soup before your meals. Most important of all is drink plenty of water. Six to eight glasses a day is great. This not only takes the edge off your hunger, it reduces a craving and most importantly of all it flushes the body of harmful substances, like residue from cigarette smoking. It also greatly reduces the pains of nicotine withdrawal. In addition some people experience an increase in alcohol consumption when they are quitting or after they have quit. Those people who do drink more alcohol when quitting smoking, usually have established a strong connection between smoking and drinking. Heavy drinkers often light up when they drink, and when they quit smoking, they take up the slack by drinking more. There is also a chemical reaction involved; nicotine is a stimulant anti alcohol is a depressant. The combination of the two can become a condition to which the body becomes addicted. This means a person who smokes and drinks alcohol can have three addictions; one to cigarettes, one to drinking alcohol and one to the combined chemical reaction of two drugs. Smoke Less America suggests that for the first few days you quit smoking, you don=t drink any alcohol. If you know that is impossible for you, we suggest you severely limit your drinking. We don=t suggest, however, that you try to quit smoking and drinking at the same time. The chemical adjustments you body goes through when trying to quit either smoking or drinking are difficult enough without combining the two. If you do drink alcohol and would like to stop, we suggest you tackle that undertaking after you have become an ex-smoker. You are almost ready to begin the program. By this time you should have read the entire packet. Now go back and underline passages that apply directly to you and the passages which you believe will be of help to you while you are quitting. It=s time to get down to the business of quitting! Good Luck! Smoke Less America Smoking Cessation Work Sheet Name: Motivation Category: Cold Turkey Date: Gradual Reduction, Start Date: Reasons for Quitting: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Place and Situations to Avoid 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Methods to Counteract this Problems or Quit Date: 9. 10. Rewards for Not Smoking: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. People to Call for Support: 1. 2. 3.