Kick the habit

The day is geared toward encouraging those who smoke to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking on that day. By doing so, smokers will be taking an important step toward a healthier life — one that can lead to reducing cancer risk, according the society’s official website.

“Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S.,” said Angele Hartell, a community relations spokesperson for the American Cancer Society. “Given what we know and have known for so long, that is a startling fact.”

Hartell said that in Minnesota, 17.6 percent of the adult population — more than 695,000 people — are cigarette smokers. Minnesota ranks 19th among the states. In all, more than 46 million Americans still smoke. However, more than half of these smokers have attempted to quit for at least one day in the past year, the website noted.

Hartell noted the serious risks of smoking include cancer, disease and death.

“Cancer itself is so difficult and there is so much that can’t be controlled or impacted about it,” she said. “But tobacco use is something that is directly under our control.”

The nicotine found in cigarettes and tobacco is highly addictive making quitting such a difficult thing to do, Hartell said. “We know it takes 7-10 attempts to successfully quit.”

Hartell offered two very strong points of advice when attempting to kick the habit — don’t give up and get help quitting.

“Quitting is hard, but tobacco users can increase your chances of success with help,” she said.

She added that people who have smoked for years may think there is no point in quitting. Hartell pointed out that is not the case.

She offered The Journal the following timeline of those who choose to quit smoking:

• 20 minutes after quitting — heart rate and blood pressure drop.

• 12 hours after quitting — the carbon monoxide level in a person’s blood drops to normal.

• Two weeks to three months after quitting — circulation improves and lung function increases.

• One to nine months after quitting — coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) start to regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.

• One year after quitting — the excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker’s.

• Five years after quitting — risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half. Cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non-smoker. Stroke risk can fall to that of a non-smoker after two to five years.

• 10 years after quitting — the risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking. The risk of cancer of the larynx and pancreas decreases.

• 15 years after quitting —the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker's.

“These are just a few of the benefits of quitting smoking for good,” Hartell said. “Quitting smoking lowers the risk of diabetes, lets blood vessels work better, and helps the heart and lungs. Quitting while you are younger will reduce your health risks more, but quitting at any age can give back years of life that would be lost by continuing to smoke.”

The American Cancer Society can help people learn about the steps they can take to quit smoking and provide the resources and support that can increase their chances of quitting successfully. To learn about the available tools, call the American Cancer Society at 800-227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.

Hartell concluded that quitting is not only a gift to the person who smokes, but to their family and friends as well.