Startling Reasons Why Now Is The Best Time To Quit Smoking Than Ever Before--And How You Can Do It.

In a recent report from the U.S. Surgeon General’s office, just a week after the 50^th anniversary of its landmark report that launched the anti-smoking movement, it is claimed that cigarette smoking health risks are even greater than previously thought; for while it’s more than well-known that smoking causes lung cancer, there are myriad other harms caused by smoking that are less known, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and erectile dysfunction. Indeed, after decades of research scientists are still adding to the list of harms caused by cigarette smoking.

“But what about e-cigarettes?” one may ask. Well, according to Huff Post New York, just this week New York City’s Public Smoking Ban was reported to include e-cigarettes. For given that they use a battery to vaporize nicotine that the user then inhales, the FDA reports that many devices contain toxins and carcinogens that call into question their safety as an alternative to the now-traditional light-em-up kind. 

Want to live longer by an entire decade? Quit smoking. It is claimed by many that quitting smoking can add 10 years to your life; and, in an important study by Prabhat Jha of the University of Toronto, reported by the UK’s Daily Mail, by quitting smoking before the age of 40, and preferably well before 40, gives one back almost all of the decade of lost life from continued smoking. How remarkable is the human body to restore itself in such a radical way!

And let’s not forget about this from an insurance perspective: by simply ceasing from smoking for an entire year puts one in an entirely different life insurance category that reduces one’s monthly premiums by, in many cases, as much as fifty-percent.

Ready to quit smoking now? According to reports, it only takes two weeks for your withdrawal symptoms to dissipate, and for your lungs to begin repairing and begin to feel clear—only 14 days! So here are some ways, according to the Lung Association, to begin to quit smoking, gain a decade of life, and lower your monthly life insurance premiums:

1.     Pick a quit day. Choose a date within the next two weeks to quit—best just to start today, if you’re reading this before your morning smoke, or first thing tomorrow. Start immediately and just do it. Also, talk to friends and family members about it, and ask for support. By disclosing your plan to quit, you’re most likely to do it.

2.     Choose two or more proven quit-smoking methods, such as joining a support group, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), such as nicotine patch, gum, or lozenge, or even ask your doctor about a prescription medicine called bupropion, which is an anti-depressant that will make it easier to quit.

3.     On your quit day, quit completely. Going ‘cold-turkey’, and staying there, is the best way to quit. So don’t smoke—not even a little. Throw out all your cigarettes, ash trays, etc. And avoid going places where you have usually smoked (for instance, hanging out with the fellas while they’re having a smoke break from work is not advisable). Be positive, and believe in yourself—you can do it.

4.     Exercise more often. Exercise is a healthy alternative to smoking, and releases natural endorphins that will make you feel great. As mentioned in earlier posts, simply getting out for a walk for 15-20 minutes a day will give you great results.

5.     Don’t give up if you slip up. Try to quit the next day. Stick to it and you will do it.

Again, the benefits of quitting far outweigh those of being stuck in a habit that is no less than life-threatening. Start now: butt out and begin a whole new life.