I Quit! 

Bingham Healthcare offers this resource guide to help kick the habit for good!

BENEFITS OF QUITTING SMOKING

The benefits of quitting smoking are considerable. Here are just a few examples of what happens when a smoker quits…

After 20 Minutes

Blood pressure and pulse rate decrease

After 8 Hours

Carbon monoxide levels in blood return to normal

After 1 Day

The likelihood of a heart attack decreases

After 2 Days

Nerve endings regenerate; sense of smell and taste are enhanced

After 2 Weeks

Circulation improves and lung function increases

After 1-9 Months

Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decreases

After 1 Year

The likelihood of heart attack is cut in half

After 5 Years

Risk of a stroke is reduced to the same levels as a non-smoker

After 10 Years

Risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a current smoker

LOCAL HELP

You’re ready this time. You’ve thought about quitting smoking a lot. Maybe you have even tried once or twice before, but this time it’s different. This time you believe you are really ready.

HOW CAN YOU QUIT SMOKING?

According to American Academy of Family Physicians, you’ll have the best chance to quit smoking if you do the following:

• Get ready
• Get support and encouragement
• Learn how to handle stress and urges to smoke
• Get medication to help and use it correctly
• Be prepared for a relapse

SMOKING CESSATION CLASSES

HEALTH DEPARTMENTS

Your local health department may also have information and resources to aid you in quitting smoking:

Southeastern District VI Health Department
Pocatello – (208) 478-6316

District VII Health Department
Idaho Falls – (208) 522-0310

REGIONAL HELP

Idaho QuitLine

Help to quit smoking is now just a phone call away. The Idaho QuitLine is a free telephone counseling service designed to help smokers quit.

This confidential service connects tobacco users with trained counselors who guide and support them through the process of becoming tobacco-free. All services are available in English, Spanish, and for the deaf and hard of hearing community.

1-800-QUIT NOW counselors are available:
Monday through Thursday: 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. MST
Friday: 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. MST
Saturday & Sunday: 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. MST

IDAHO QUITNET

Idaho QuitNet is a free internet service that can also help you quit smoking. It offers expert advice on quitting techniques, online support from other smokers who are trying to quit, and information about medications that may make quitting easier. Begin today by visiting Idaho Quit Net.

NATIONAL HELP

American Lung Association
Smoking is responsible for an estimated one in five U.S. deaths and costs the U.S. over $150 billion each year in healthcare costs and lost productivity. When you know the facts, the truth provides empowerment that can help you fight the cravings and stay on course to a healthier you.

Find out more smoking facts through the American Lung Association by calling 1-800-LUNG-USA or by logging onto their website at http://www.lungusa.org/

FREEDOM FROM SMOKING

Quitting smoking can evoke a lot of feelings: fear, resentment, relief, and so on. If you stay committed to a program and complete your short-term goals, you have a good chance of remaining smoke-free for good.

Millions of people have quit smoking and you can do it too! The American Lung Association’s online smoking cessation program is only a mouse-click away at http://www.ffsonline.org/ This website offers a 7 step program with extensive resources including education, suggestions, hints for surviving the first week, and provides a Quit Smoking Action Plan.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Quitting smoking may seem almost impossible, but it can be done. More than 45.7 million Americans have quit already and many of them tried several times before they were able to quit. Most smokers need to “practice” quitting several times before they make it for good. The best advice is to keep trying. They made it, and you can too!