You may have thought about quitting in the past – you may have even tried to kick the habit already. Or, maybe you think about quitting sometime in the future, when the time is ‘right.’
Photo credit: Adrian Berg
Here are three reasons why the time is Now:
- Quitting now increases the health benefits that you gain from being smoke-free.[1]
Studies show that ex-smokers who quit before the age of 35 can regain a similar lifespan as a non-smoker.[1] Now is the time to quit.
Even if you’re older than 35, all is definitely not lost. Your body begins to recover within minutes after putting down your last cigarette.[2] Your blood pressure and accelerated heart rate from smoking begin to return to normal in just 20 minutes after smoking.[2, 3] Just a couple of days without a cigarette allows the nerve endings in your fingertips to recover. Depending on how much you smoke, within a year of being smoke-free, your risk of sudden death by heart attack is reduced by half.[2, 4] It can be amazing how much and how quickly your body can recover! (See more in our article: Benefits of Quitting Smoking) Who can say no to that!
- The older you get, the harder it is to become smoke-free.[5]
You probably don’t want to hear this, but as tough as it may be to think about quitting now, it will only get harder the older you get. Young adults 18 to 24 years old have a higher success rate of quitting than any other age group.[6] The older you get, the more attached you might become to smoking (even if you don’t think so now). And, some people stop trying to quit as they get older.[5] Even if you don’t think this will be you, why risk it? Take the opportunity to quit now.
- It’s easier to find a ‘quit buddy’ when you’re young.
Two out of three young adult smokers want to quit.[6] Plus, young adults are more likely to try quitting than older adults.[6] So find a friend who is thinking about quitting too and quit together!
Take advantage of this time in your life when you can set goals together with a friend—it might be harder to find someone to quit with you as you get older. Quitting with a friend can really help keep you stay accountable to what you’ve promised yourself you’ll do. Even better: Your friend will know the challenges you’re going through and be able to provide support and encouragement.
Even if you don’t know anyone who is ready to quit with you, we’ve got Text Buddies in the StopMySmoking program. We can pair you with another young adult who is also quitting—so you really don’t have to go through it alone!
You have many options for quit help available to you!
While it may take some trial and error to figure out what works for you, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends text messaging-based quit programs for young adults. They say that “…text-messaging cessation interventions could offer additional potential channels for delivering cessation assistance, considering their accessibility, potential reach and low cost… they likely would appeal especially to young adults, who in this report were the most likely of all age groups to make quit attempts but the least likely to use cessation counseling and medications.”[6] Knowing this, you now have an edge in your quit process! Now is the best time to quit, so don’t spend another day thinking about it – do it today!
References:
[1] Kirchheimer, S. Quit Smoking Before Age 35 to Regain Health. WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20040608/quit-smoking-before-age-35-to-regain-health
[2] Within 20 Minutes of Quitting. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2004/posters/20mins/index.htm
[3] Mahmud A & Feely J. Effect of smoking on arterial stiffness and pulse pressure amplification. Hypertension. 2003;41:183.
[4] US Surgeon General’s Report. The Health Benefits of Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General. 1990. http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/NN/B/B/C/T/
[5] Young Adults More Likely To Quit Smoking Successfully. ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080111193824.htm
[6] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Quitting Smoking Among Adults—United States, 2001-2010. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2011; 60(44):1513-1519.