StopSmokingNow—WeCanHelp!
InalmosteveryUScityandtown,therearelocalorganisationstohelppeoplestopsmoking.Participantslearntorecognisesmokingtriggers(thingsthatstartthemsmoking)andtheytrytosetadateinthefuturewhentheywillstopsmoking.
OneofthemostpopularandsuccessfulistheCaliforniaSmokers'Helpline.Hereisanextractfromoneoftheirleaflets.
Whenyoureallywantacigarette—trythefourDs:
1.Delay:Lookatyourwatchandwaitforacoupleofminutes.Ifyoucanwaittwominutes,youwon'twanttosmoke.
2.Distraction:Whateveryou'redoingwhenyouwanttosmoke—dosomethingelse!Forexample,ifyou'realone,findsomeonetotalkto.Ifyou'resittingdown,takeashortwalk.
3.Drinkwater:Ifyoudrinkwater,youreducetheneedtohavesomethinginyourmouth.
4.Deepbreathing:Breatheinslowlyanddeeply.Counttofivewhenyourlungsarefull.Thenbreatheoutslowly.Repeatseveraltimes.
Andherearesomeideastohelppeopletogiveupsmoking:
1.Makeaplan:Makealistoffriendswhosmokeandplaceswhereyousmoke.Don'tseethosepeopleanddon'tgotothoseplaces!
2.Setadatewhenyou'regoingtostop:Chooseatimewhenyouwillberelaxedbutalsotoobusytothinkaboutsmoking.
3.Keepbusy:Insteadofsmoking,makeaphonecall,takeashortwalk,talkwithafriend.
4.Developnewinterests:Exercise—walking,biking,jogging,swimming,ortakingagymnasticclass—helpsyoutoforgetaboutcigarettes.
