Butts

By Angela Gemmill

If you plan on quitting smoking this year, health officials suggest to have a plan of attack ready to help deal with your personal triggers.

Public Health Nurse at the Sudbury & District Health Unit, Nadine Renee Conlon, says there are lots of resources available for anyone who plans to ‘butt out’ this new year.

The health unit has one-on-one counselling available to support quitters, through a Quit Smoking Clinic.

There is also a free Smokers’ Helpline both online www.smokershelpline.ca or by phone: 1-877-513-5333.

Conlon suggests first tracking when and where you smoke, then determine what you’ll change before finally developing coping strategies, particularly what you might do when presented with triggers to the bad habit.

Even if smokers slip-up on their quit attempt, Conlon says each person can learn from that experience and apply those lessons to the next attempt.

Within 8-hours without a cigarette carbon monoxide levels drop in a person’s body, within 48-hours their chances of having a heart attack are reduced, within 72-hours breathing gets easier.

Between two weeks to three months without a cigarette, a former smoker will see improvements in their blood circulation.

And finally, Conlon says after six months of being smoke-free a person will cough less and have less sinus congestion, less shortness of breath, less fatigue.

She says quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health.

Here’s where to get started: www.sdhu.com