Kick the Smoking Habit
for Good
The sooner you quit smoking, the sooner you start lowering your risk for health problems like heart disease, stroke and cancer. Take these steps to get started on quitting—and living a longer, healthier life:
Make a Date to Quit Set a date within the next month to quit smoking. Try to choose a day when you’re less likely to be stressed or spending time with people who smoke.
Tell Your Loved Ones You Plan to Quit The people in your life can help you stick to your quit plan. So tell family and friends why you want to quit, and ask them to help you avoid cigarettes.You can also ask them to cheer you on and check in with you to find out how things are going.
Work on Your Quit Plan An important part of giving up smoking is planning how you will deal with cigarette cravings. Start by listing your smoking triggers—the people, places and activities that make you want to smoke—and deciding how to manage them. Stock up on cigarette replacements, like sugarless gum and straws. Remove cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays from your home, car and workplace. Out of sight, out of mind. If you need extra help, call an 1199SEIU Health Coach (see box at right). Sources: smokefree.gov; American Cancer Society
Let Us Help You Make Informed Medical Decisions Want to know more about tests and treatments that can benefit you—and ones that may be overused? We’ve teamed up with Consumer Reports and the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation to bring you expert guides through Consumer Health Choices. Just visit www.1199SEIUBenefits.org and click on the “Consumer Reports” link to find information from medical experts that you can print out and use any time you visit your doctor.
News You Can Use:
Need another reason to quit smoking now? A recent study in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure showed that for most former smokers who had quit for 15 years or longer, their risk of heart failure and death was similar to that of people who have never smoked.
Let an 1199SEIU Health Coach Help You Kick the Habit for Good You know you can call Your 24-Hour Health Helpline anytime you have a medical question, but did you know you can call the same number to connect with a Health Coach to help you give up smoking? Just call (866) 935-1199, Option 2, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to speak with a personal Health Coach who will work with you to create a quit plan and set achievable goals. Our Health Coaches can also help you if you’re trying to lose weight or need help managing a chronic condition, like diabetes or heart disease.
Don’t go it alone!
FOR YOUR BENEFIT
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