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Smoking Cessation

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Some people are afraid to quit smoking because they think that it's too much trouble. Others put it off, convincing themselves that they'll quit "someday." Those who feel healthy now don't want to think of the serious side effects on their health.

The evidence that smoking can be dangerous—and deadly—is clear. Did you know?

  • One in five deaths in the United States is related to tobacco—a total of more than 400,000 deaths each year—making it the number-one preventable cause of death. One in three young people who smoke regularly and do not quit will eventually die of smoking-related causes.
  • Smoking causes or contributes to many diseases, including lung and other cancers, emphysema, heart disease, stroke, digestive problems, osteoporosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Smoking can raise a person's blood pressure, cause a cough, and make a person more vulnerable to colds and other infections.
  • Men who smoke more than 20 cigarettes daily are 60% more likely to have erectile dysfunction (impotence).
  • Women who smoke are more likely to be infertile or have trouble conceiving.
  • Smoking turns the teeth yellow and makes breath, hair, and clothes smell.
  • Athletes who smoke cannot reach their peak performance because smokers become breathless more easily.
  • Smoking is expensive. People who smoke a pack a day probably spend more than $1,000 a year on cigarettes. That could buy a campus meal plan, a closet full of clothes, a computer, or a down payment on a car.
  • The benefits of quitting start right after your last puff. Over the years, your disease risk will decrease to the level of that of people who never smoked.

Getting Started

To quit smoking, it helps to understand why people become addicted to cigarettes.

First, tobacco in cigarettes contains a powerfully addictive chemical called nicotine. Nicotine is both a stimulant and a depressant, which means that it initially increases the heart rate and makes a person feel more alert (like caffeine, another stimulant), and then causes depression and fatigue. The depression and fatigue make the smoker want another cigarette to perk up again. Just as with other physical addictions, when the users (in this case, smokers) begin to withdraw from the addicting substance (the nicotine), they become irritable, restless, and highly focused on getting relief.

According to many experts, nicotine is as addictive as cocaine or heroin, so it makes sense that quitting can be tough. In addition, many smokers have a psychological or emotional dependence on the habit. For them, smoking becomes an ingrained habit, one they eventually think they need. Smoking, for some, feels like an important social interaction.

When you add up the forces encouraging you to continue smoking, quitting can seem like an impossibly tough thing to do. How could you quit when you have so many pressures? Wouldn't quitting just be one more pressure on you?

But don't be discouraged: Although there are 7 million smokers in your age group, another 2 million have already quit. These strategies can help you do it, too:

  • Set a goal. You want to be a nonsmoker, right? Think about why you want to quit and how you envision yourself in the future. When you're tempted to smoke, keep this positive image in mind. You might even make a list of why you're quitting and refer to it later.
  • Get support. If friends and family help you toward your goal, you're more likely to succeed. You might even find someone who also wants to quit and work together. A support group can help, too, either in person or online. There might even be one on campus.
  • Set a quit date. Pick a day that you'll stop smoking and tell your friends and family about it. Think of that day as a dividing line between the smoking you and the nonsmoker you'll become. Be sure to choose a day when you don't have other significant sources of stress, such as midterms, the holidays, or a new job. Mark the date on your calendar.
  • Throw away all your cigarettes. People can't stop smoking with tobacco around to tempt them, so toss all of your cigarettes. Get rid of your ashtrays and lighters, too. This way, you'll make it a little harder to smoke.
  • Plan to resist triggers. You're probably aware of the situations in which you tend to smoke, such as after you eat or after class; at parties, concerts, or bars; or when you're driving. These are your triggers for smoking - it feels automatic to have a cigarette when you're in those situations. Once you've figured out your triggers, you can make sure they don't block you from quitting. To do this, you can avoid the situation (make it a point to get up from the table if you normally smoke after a meal, for example), change the situation (ask smoking friends not to smoke in your room, for example), or substitute something else, like gum, for the cigarettes.

Ready to Quit? Learn about Quit and Win!, coordinated by Health Promotion and Wellness Services and Primary Care Services, is open to all students and provides a terrific opportunity for NYU students to experience the benefits of a smoke-free life.

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