Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
A7
JANUARY 2017
It is time….to Kick the Buts…
Lesly shared this after being tobacco free.
“I was desperate to quit smoking – I was desperate to smoke.
I was sick to death of smoking – I loved to smoke.
I hated how I smelled – I loved the smell of my smokes.
I hated the burn holes, fears, sickness – I loved the rituals.
I hated being told I should quit - I knew I should quit.
Most of all – I was sick and tired of being sick and tired”
“Quitting is hard – it takes effort, determination and commitment, but it can be done.
You need to be brutally honest with yourself, though, and you cannot quit by continuing
to smoke. You have to stop! Not one – not one puff and no excuses”
Lesly’s experience and mixed emotions about wanting to be tobacco free is shared by most tobacco users. A recent
study showed that over 70% of tobacco users want to quit and over 50% made an attempt this past year.
Kick Buts is a program designed by Len’s Drug to help you explore all those “buts” that keep you from diving
headlong into stopping all tobacco; “I would quit, ‘but’ I might gain weight”; “I would quit, ‘but’ I can’t handle the
stress”; I would quit, ‘but’ I don’t have any support” and the list goes on and on.
This time of year is a “penalty free” time to make a change. Your family and friends would not be surprised by you
making a New Year’s Resolution to quit tobacco for good!
There are two Kick Buts’ Support Groups each week, Mondays at 6:30pm and Thursday at 2:00pm. They are held at
The Corner Cup in downtown John Day.
These support groups are an opportunity to ask questions, prepare for a quit date, seek support, listen to
inspirational victories and share your support for others.
In addition to these group meetings, there is a monthly Kick Buts Education class held at Grantville Theater in Canyon
City. Topics for these meetings have been Physical effects of tobacco, Exercise, Nutrition, Oral Care, Handling Stress
and many more.
As Lesly conveyed, quitting tobacco is HARD, but you CAN do it! Below we will list the many options that may be
used alone or in combination to help you quit. Studies have repeatedly shown, that combining options is beneficial
to success. A surprising fact, is that “support”, talking, sharing, being counseled, is the most effective method when
combined with medications. A fact that Kick Buts supports with group and educational meetings.
Quitting tobacco has numerous health benefits and we will
cover some of these as listed on the Smokefree.gov website.
BENEFITS OF QUITTING
(From smokefree.gov)
Quitting smoking can help most of the major parts of your body: from your brain to your DNA.
BRAIN
Broken addiction cycle
Quitting smoking can re-wire your brain and help break the cycle of
addiction. The large number of nicotine receptors in your brain will
return to normal levels after about a month of being quit.
HEAD AND FACE
Sharp hearing
Quitting smoking will keep your hearing sharp. Remember, even mild
hearing loss can cause problems (like not hearing directions correctly
and doing a task wrong).
Better vision
Quitting smoking will improve your night vision and help preserve your
overall vision by stopping the damage that smoking does to your eyes.
Clean mouth
Nobody likes a dirty mouth. After a few days without cigarettes, your
smile will be brighter. Quitting smoking now will keep your mouth
healthy for years to come.
Clear skin
Quitting smoking is better than anti-aging lotion. Quitting can help
clear up blemishes and protect your skin from premature aging and
wrinkling.
HEART
Decreased heart risks
Smoking is the leading cause of heart attacks and heart disease. But
many of these heart risks can be reversed simply by quitting smoking.
Quitting can lower your blood pressure and heart rate almost
immediately. Your risk of a heart attack declines within 24 hours.
Thin blood
When you quit smoking, your blood will become thinner and less likely
to form dangerous blood clots. Your heart will also have less work to
do, because it will be able to move the blood around your body more
easily.
Lower cholesterol
Quitting smoking will not get rid of the fatty deposits that are already
there. But it will lower the levels of cholesterol and fats circulating in
your blood, which will help to slow the buildup of new fatty deposits in
your arteries.
LUNGS
Stop lung damage
Scarring of the lungs is not reversible. That is why it is important to
quit smoking before you do permanent damage to your lungs. Within
two weeks of quitting, you might notice it’s easier to walk up the stairs
because you may be less short of breath. Don’t wait until later; quit
today!
Prevent emphysema
There is no cure for emphysema. But quitting when you are young,
before you have done years of damage to the delicate air sacs in your
lungs, will help protect you from developing emphysema later.
Return of cilia
Cilia start to regrow and re-gain normal function very quickly after you
quit smoking. They are one of the first things in your body to heal.
People sometimes notice that they cough more than usual when they
first quit smoking. This is a sign that the cilia are coming back to life.
But you’re more likely to fight off colds and infections when you’re cilia
are working properly.
DNA
Lower cancer risk
Quitting smoking will prevent new DNA damage from happening and
can even help repair the damage that has already been done. Quitting
smoking immediately is the best way to lower your risk of getting
cancer.
STOMACH AND HORMONES
Smaller belly
Quitting smoking will reduce your belly fat and lower your risk of
diabetes. If you already have diabetes, quitting can help you keep your
blood sugar levels in check.
Normal estrogen levels
If you’re a woman, your estrogen levels will gradually return to normal
after you quit smoking. And if you hope to have children someday,
quitting smoking right now will increase your chances of a healthy
pregnancy in the future.
ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
Sexual healing
If you quit smoking now, you can lower your chances of erectile
dysfunction and improve your chances of having a healthy sexual life.
BLOOD AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
Normal white blood cell count
When you quit smoking, your body will begin to heal from the injuries
that smoking caused. Eventually, your white blood cell counts will
return to normal and will no longer be on the defensive.
Proper healing
Quitting smoking will improve blood flow to wounds, allowing
important nutrients, minerals, and oxygen to reach the wound and help
it heal properly.
Stronger immune system
When you quit smoking, your immune system is no longer exposed to tar
and nicotine. It will become stronger, and you will be less likely to get
sick.
MUSCLES AND BONES
Strong muscles
Quitting smoking will help increase the availability of oxygen in your
blood, and your muscles will become stronger and healthier.
Stronger bones
Quitting smoking can reduce your risk of fractures, both now and later
in life. Keep your bones strong and healthy by quitting now.
Methods of Quitting
Resources
Smart Phone Apps
(in order of most effectiveness from smokefree.gov)
Come talk to our Pharmacists at Len’s Drug
for more information on each method
Counseling plus Medications
Kick Buts (Len’s Drug)
Text Based Program
Text LENSDRUG to 63141 or Visit
www.kickbuts.com and enter
program code: LENSDRUG
Weekly Support Group Meetings
Monday 6:30pm at Corner Cup
Thursday 2:00pm at Corner Cup
Monthly Education Meetings
2nd Monday of Each Month at
7:00pm at Grantville Theater
Special Speakers each month
Pharmacist available at anytime to
take to you about the quit process.
Smoke Free
SmartQuit
Quit for Life
Quit Pro
LIVESTRONG Quit
Way of Life
QuiteGuide
DipQuit
Chantix
Nicotine Patch
Nicotine Gum
Nicotine Lozenge
Nicotine Inhaler
Nicotine Nasal Spray
Bupropion SR
In person Counseling and support
Combine medications
Telephone counseling and support
Self-Help Guides and Other Medications
Online programs
Websites
Laser Therapy
Ex: Re-learn to Live Without Cigarettes (becomeanex.org)
Hypnosis
You Can Quit Smoking Now (smokefree.gov)
Acupuncture
Complete Guide to Quitting (American Cancer Society – cancer.org)
Freedom from Smoking (American Lung Associate – lung.org)
Live change with a Quit Counselor (National Cancer Institute – LiveHelp.cancer.gov)
TeenQuit (teenquit.com)
My Last Dip: quit smokeless tobacco (Oregon Research Institute – MyLastDip.com
In conclusion, quitting tobacco is a very personal decision and can only be made by you. But, you can explore the
option of quitting even before you are ready to make the decision. We encourage you to visit a Kick Buts group
support meeting or monthly education meeting and begin down the road to living a new life, free from tobacco.
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