Why should you stop smoking?
There are many reasons. Health benefits when you stop using tobacco begin almost immediately. Within 24 hours, your heart rate returns to normal, your blood level of carbon monoxide (which reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen) declines, and your risk of a heart attack decreases. Over time, your lung function improves significantly. You will also likely feel and look healthier, save money, and protect other people from secondhand exposure to smoke.
For people who have been diagnosed with cancer — even if the cancer is not tobacco related — quitting can help to lessen the risk of complications during surgery, speed recovery from an operation, lessen the risk for side effects, improve the response to chemotherapy and radiation, and possibly enable you to live longer. Among the other potential benefits, quitting has also been shown to lower the risk of cancer returning and the development of new cancers.
Can you stop smoking?
It’s challenging in part because the body becomes addicted to tobacco’s nicotine. Nicotine withdrawal can cause powerful cravings and unpleasant symptoms, such as irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and mood changes.
Knowing the health benefits of quitting is enough to motivate many people to quit, but many people have other personal reasons for wanting to quit. Quitting smoking is a big decision, so it’s important to do it for reasons that mean something to you.
For many people, a program with counselors and a plan of action works well. Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) has specialists who can help you quit smoking or stop using tobacco, whether or not you’re a patient at MSK. MSK uses a wide range of approaches to help you quit, including medications and behavioral techniques.
For more information visit:
Tobacco Treatment Program
Memorial Sloan Kettering Counseling Center
641 Lexington Avenue, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Appointments: 212-610-0507