Stop Smoking Way

Health educator advises President Barack Obama and others trying to quit smoking to keep trying.

Susan Rausch, health educator at the Pat Walker Health Center and co-chair of the University of Arkansas’ campaign to promote the tobacco-free campus policy, suggests first dealing with stress.

“Obviously, President Obama has a very stressful job,” Rausch said in a statement. “But University of Arkansas students facing mid-term exams know something about stress, too. There are ways to deal with stress and quit smoking, too.”

Naltrexone, approved for the treatment of alcohol dependence, also helps heavy social drinkers who aren’t alcoholics to quit smoking, as well as to reduce the amount of alcohol they drink, a new study shows.

After taking naltrexone, smokers who were heavy drinkers had significant reductions in heavy drinking rates over the course of the 8-week treatment, and also were more likely to quit than heavy drinkers taking placebo, lead investigator Dr. Andrea C. King told Reuters Health. “The effects were not as prominent among the lighter drinking smokers,” she noted.

Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a four-wheel-drive 2005 Dodge Dakota with 32,000 miles on it. Since I had the front brake pads replaced four months ago, I have noticed a faint burning smell coming from the wheels after I drive to work. I took it back to the repair shop, and they could not find anything wrong. This weekend, I took it down a winding canyon road, and when I got to the bottom, there was smoke coming from the wheels, along with a strong burning smell. I took it to the Dodge dealer, and they can’t find anything wrong with the brakes – nothing charred, no pulsation and plenty of pad left. Do you have any idea why my brakes are smoking?

We’ll spare you the lecture. (Seriously, though. Stamp out that butt and flush the pack, already.) Tobacco use, namely cigarette smoking, is the chief cause of preventable death in the United States. Left unbridled, smoking could kill more than a billion people this century, according to the World Health Organization. That equals the number who would die if a Titanic sank every 24 minutes for the next 100 years, as former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop so starkly put it at a March press conference.

Most smokers already know that they can help preserve their health, hygiene and personal relationships by kicking the habit, and that holds true across the country.

But in strictly financial terms, smokers in Delaware stand to save the most cash by quitting. That’s because in Delaware, where a pack of cigarettes costs about $5.39, residents smoke more than in any other state–just over 185 packs per year. That comes out to $998.23 spent individually on smoking every year.

I’ve smoked for 20 years and want to quit. A friend recommended a hypnotist, but it scares me. Does hypnosis work? How can I find out if this hypnotist is qualified and reliable?

Hypnosis is one of the oldest forms of psychotherapy in the Western world. It may also be the most misunderstood, given its association with entertainers and charlatans. But, in fact, it is a specialized form of meditation and a relaxation technique.

If you smoke and you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, it’s especially important to kick the habit now. The toxic chemicals inhaled when you smoke are easily passed to the unborn baby.

The American Pregnancy Association offers these suggestions to help you stop smoking during pregnancy:

• Make a list of all of the health benefits of quitting for yourself and your baby.
• Replace smoking with healthier habits, such as having a snack or a cup of tea with your newspaper, instead of a cigarette.
• Surround yourself with nonsmokers.
• Have a friend or family member ready to call when you need support.

If you have recently quit cigarettes or are thinking about quitting, you may be concerned about feeling sick and other bad withdrawal symptoms. You’re not alone. Nausea is one of the most common side effects of nicotine withdrawal. It can occur days after you quit, or one night after your last cigarette. And the period for which it lasts can vary from minute to weeks.

What makes us feel sick after quitting?

OLYMPIA — After helping young people and pregnant women to quit smoking, the state is now targeting its toughest group yet — low-income residents.

Smoking rates in North Central Washington now vary widely, partly because the state’s anti-smoking campaign has worked in areas with higher incomes and education levels, state officials say.

Adult smoking rates released by the state on Wednesday show the disparity.

In Chelan County, only about one in seven adults — or 14.4 percent — smoke. In Okanogan County, nearly one in four adults — or 24.4 percent — smoke. It’s the third highest rate in the state, behind only Asotin and Stevens counties.

I bet you are frustrated over how to quit smoking for good. Many smokers write in and ask how to really do it once and for all. Pay attention to this article as it distills some of the fact from the fiction out there.

If you are finally going to quit smoking you must begin with the proper mental attitude. This really is quite simple when you think about it honestly. Just as you make decisions in other areas of your life. You’ve got to make a decision about kicking the habit.