There's help to stop smoking
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Published: July 17, 2009
On July 1, Vermont's tax on cigarettes increased by $.25 cents per pack. That means a pack-a-day smoker will now spend more than $2,360 on cigarettes in a year; a 2-pack-a-day smoker will spend almost $4,720. Quitting eliminates or reduces all of the expenses that go along with smoking. Just imagine what you could do with those savings – pay off that credit card debt, plan a nice vacation, or get a new flat screen television!
Everyone knows smoking is unhealthy; I'm sure you've heard enough about that. A U.S. Surgeon General's Report concluded that smoking harms virtually every organ in the body. But there is good news. Regardless of your age, how long you've been smoking, or how much you smoke, quitting smoking now has immediate and long-term benefits.
If you quit on the stroke of midnight, your blood pressure will decrease and your pulse will slow down in just a half-hour. By noon, your body's carbon monoxide levels will be lower. The next day, your risk of a heart attack will already begin to drop. In just a few months, your circulation and lung function will have improved, and walking and exercising will be easier. Depending on how long and how much you smoked, in the next five years your stroke risk could be comparable to that of people who have never smoked, and in the next 15 years your overall risk of death will be comparable to people who have never smoked.
Despite all the good reasons to quit, making that decision is challenging. You may feel uneasy about trying to quit, especially if you have tried to do so in the past. Maybe you tried quitting cold turkey and still think it's the only way. The good news is that you no longer need to rely on willpower alone. In fact, it's been shown that seeking support increases your chance of quitting forever. You can find this help in many forms — family and friends, a local counseling program, your doctor, or stop-smoking medication.
A great step is to use the Vermont Quit Network. This resource is available thanks to Vermont's Tobacco Control Program and it's free. Quit by phone by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) where you can get free advice and counseling on how to stop. You can also get help on-line at VTQuitNetwork.org. Quit-in-person coaches are also located at hospitals throughout the state. To find your local coach, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. The Vermont Quit Network also offers free nicotine replacement therapy – patches, gum or lozenges – to all Vermonters.
With the new tax, the health risks, and the support available now, there's never been a better time for smokers to kick the habit.
Wishing you luck in your quit attempt,
Tina Zuk
Coordinator Coalition for a Tobacco Free Vermont
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