When the Smoke Clears

You can overcome common excuses for kicking the habit.

Would you rather kick the habit or kick the bucket? Blunt, we know. But half of all smokers will end up dying from a smoking-related illness, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Quitting smoking is one of the best health decisions you will ever make— but it's also one of the most difficult. The good news is, you can do it. Here are stories from two former heavy smokers to prove it.

Hurting Your Health
For Sal Gonzales, former Ovilla Police Chief and a pack-a-day smoker who quit in 2000, smoking took a huge toll on his lungs. He was diagnosed with emphysema and ventually needed to have a specialized procedure called lung volume reduction surgery. "I went from not being able to walk 10 steps without being out of breath to now mowing my yard and washing my car," he says.

Mark Millard, M.D., medical director of the Baylor Martha Foster Lung Care Center and a physician on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, says that the procedure more than tripled Gonzales' lung function by removing the most damaged sections.

While Gonzales' case is dramatic, other health problems associated with smoking can be severe. "Sometimes the first complication of tobacco smoking is irreversible—a heart attack, stroke or lung cancer," Dr. Millard says. Smoking also weakens your bones and ups your risk for cancers of the mouth, throat, bladder, kidney, stomach and pancreas.

Excuses, Excuses
While many smokers would like to quit, excuses are abundant. "The best excuse I heard was, 'My dog got sick and needed surgery, so I started again,'" Dr. Millard says. The "dog excuse" reflects a common stumbling block for smokers: stress.

"For me, stress was usually the trigger," says Leslie Stephens, a respiratory therapist at Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie and a former three-pack-a-day smoker. She now helps lead a free five-week smoking cessation class at Baylor Waxahachie that covers rough spots—including stress—that crop up in the early stages of quitting. Other common excuses include:

I'll quit later. Rather than a vague goal, the ACS recommends you set a firm "quit date," plan for it and then stick to it.

I need a cigarette. "Nicotine is feel-good stuff and it makes cigarettes very addictive," Dr. Millard says. "Cigarette makers apparently are not helping; a recent analysis by Harvard Medical School scientists discovered nicotine levels in many popular brands are increasing."

Smoking helps me fit in. Social pressure to smoke can be tremendous. Gonzales practically had to smoke on the job. "I was an undercover narcotics cop. You have to smoke something on the streets or you'll be pressured to take a hit off something else," he says.

Kicking the Habit
For those who want to quit, ask your physician about over-the counter and prescription aids such as nicotine-containing gums, patches, sprays, inhalers or lozenges. Here are a few more ideas.

Shake things up. Switch brands every week. If you hate menthol, smoke only menthol. "Try to break up your routine associated with tobacco," Dr. Millard says.

Make a plan. Set a quit date, have a support system and be prepared for how you will handle difficult situations.

Exchange habits. Replace smoking with a healthier behavior. Try walking, bicycling or picking up a hobby like playing guitar.

Enroll in a smoking cessation program. To find a smoking cessation program offered through Baylor Health Care System, call 1-800-4BAYLOR.

That's what Stephens did. And her class—coupled with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001—helped her quit for good. “Here were these heroes saving lives, and I didn't even have enough courage to put down my cigarettes. I quit and never went back," she says.

Turns out it was the best thing she could have done. "The next year I found out I had diabetes," she says, noting that smoking increases the risk of diabetes related complications, such as heart attack and stroke. "By quitting, I did my health a huge favor."

By Laurie Davies

For a referral to a physician on the medical staff at Baylor Plano who can help you with your efforts to quit smoking, call 1-800-4BAYLOR or use our on-line physician directory.