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Start Quitting Tobacco

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  • By Health and Wellness Center
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Do You Want To Quit Smoking or Chewing? Of course you do! In fact, most tobacco users would rather be tobacco free, but they just don't know how to "break off" this relationship and quit smoking and chewing for good. You're probably tired of hearing complaints about your tobacco use and reading the frightening smoking facts about the harmful health effects and the damage to your lungs from smoking. You want to get started, but you're not sure how. Well, you're in luck. Thinking about quitting is the place to start!

Write It Down
Get your pen and notebook ready, because you are about to become a best-selling author. Well maybe that's an exaggeration, but you CAN start a quit journal. The journal will allow you to record all the reasons why you want to live tobacco free. You might have many thoughts and ideas floating around in your head, but once you put them down on paper you'll be able to see just how much you truly want to quit. You may become your own biggest supporter as you set your quit date and track your progress.

Nicotine Withdrawal
Okay, quitting is hard work, and it's not fun. You'll be grouchy, you'll have nicotine cravings, and you might even have trouble concentrating or sleeping. The good news is that it's only for a little while.
                                          
You Can Do It!
Millions of people have successfully quit using tobacco--people who smoked, dipped, or chewed a whole lot more, and a lot longer, than you. Quitting takes practice, so if you hit a bump in the road or just have a question, there are resources available to you. Health Promotion (HAWC) offers individual and group tobacco cessation coaching sessions. Make Everyone Proud-Quit Tobacco has trained Tobacco Cessation Coaches who can answer your questions and give advice through live chat at www.ucanquit2.org. SmokefreeMIL is a 24/7 text message support, text MIL to 47848 to enroll. Ready2Quit is an interactive quit plan, sign up at www.ucanquit2.org/Ready2Quit. Remember that as long as you keep on trying, you're a winner. Don't be too hard on yourself, learn from your mistakes, and never give up.

Get to It!
Tackle your enemy head on. Develop your own personalized quit plan, stick to it and enjoy a life without tobacco. Get yourself ready, get your head in the quitting game and then go. You deserve a healthy, tobacco-free life, so go make it happen!