
Submissions to TGA on heat-not-burn tobacco products
We need your voice. We’re urging the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to reject a proposal from Philip Morris International (PMI) – big tobacco – to…
Tobacco smoking remains the single most preventable cause of ill health and death in Australia. It contributes to more deaths and hospitalisations than alcohol and illicit drug use combined1.
Everyone is different when it comes to withdrawal symptoms. The best way to cope is knowing what to expect and how to deal with them. Some symptoms can include:
Cravings are often triggered by specific situations, so it’s useful to identify your triggers and plan coping strategies. For instance, if you always smoke after dinner, you could clean your teeth straight away, wash the dishes or go for a walk. Anti-smoking medications will reduce both cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Craving and withdrawals are a common part of quitting, but they become less frequent and weaker as time goes by. The most important thing to remember is that withdrawal symptoms are temporary – they will disappear once your body stops being dependent on nicotine.
Mistakes are part of the quitting process. The best thing you can do is learn from the slip up to improve your future quitting attempts. While the process will be difficult, it is important to remember that even reducing your smoking to 1-4 cigarettes per day will cause you to have significantly higher risk of heart attack and lung disease compared to people who don’t smoke.
1 in 5 people who smoke will lose weight when they are quitting smoking. For those that do gain weight, the average weight gain after quitting is 2-3kg. The best advice is to eat sensibly, exercise regularly and focus on your main goal – quitting smoking.
A great incentive to quit smoking is to think about how much money you’ll save, not only on the cost of cigarettes but on related costs like medical, dental bills and higher insurance premiums. For example, if you quit smoking a pack of cigarettes a day you are likely to save around $6,500 per year. You can find out exactly how much you will save through the icanQuit cost saving calculator.
Finding your own strategy for quitting is important as different methods suit different people. Choose a quitting method you feel comfortable with that suits your lifestyle needs, that way you’ll feel more in control of your quitting attempt. Going cold turkey works for some people, but research has shown that the most effective way to quit is to get some ongoing support from a health professional, such as a doctor, nurse or pharmacist, using a combination of counselling and medication. At Lung Foundation Australia, we support proven, registered, therapeutic quit-smoking methods and medicines, and most importantly, we recommend having a strategy. This strategy would include clinical counselling together with nicotine replacement therapy or other evidence-based forms of pharmacotherapy. Know your reasons for quitting, talk to a doctor, know what to expect, and get help along the way. You, along with many others, can quit together.
There are many organisations and support groups that are committed to helping people quit smoking, don’t hesitate to reach out. Call the Quitline 13 78 48 or visit quitting methods for more information. For many people, when the initial feeling of achievement wears off, it can start to get harder to resist the temptation to resume smoking. Speak to your health professional for assistance and support so you can stay focussed. Visit coping strategies for some useful information on coping with withdrawal symptoms. You can do it! Talk with your GP or pharmacist first.
You can also call us for more information and guidance on 1800 654 301.
A comprehensive review of the major issues in smoking and health in Australia, compiled by the Cancer Council Victoria.
QuitCoach is free, and has helped thousands to achieve their goal of becoming a nonsmoker.
Do parents know the dangers? The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne Poll found that Australian parents are calling for tougher restrictions on e-cigarettes.
1Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2012. Australia’s health 2012. Australian’s health series no. 13. Cat. No. AUS 156. Canberra: AIHW 2Tobacco Smoking is Harmful to Health. Treatobacco.net. (Online) March 31, 2011. (Cited: April 5, 2011.) http://www.treatobacco.net/en/page_87.php 3Scollo, MM and Winstanley, MH. Tobacco in Australia: Facts and Issue. 3rd Melbourne: Cancer Council Victoria, 2008. Available from http://www.tobaccoinaustralia.org.au 4Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia’s Health 2006.Canberra: AIHW, 2006, cat no. AUS 73. 5Doll, R, et al. Mortality in relation to smoking: 50 years’ observations on male British doctors. BMJ (Clinical research ed). 2004, Vol. 328, p. 1519.
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