QUITTERS are losers, so the saying goes. But if winning means death in the long run, quitters may be winners after all.
For smokers, quitting from the habit is indeed an extraordinary challenge. According to Dr. Patrick Moral, head of the Smoking Cessation Clinic of the University of Santo Tomas Hospital (USTH), smoking is not only a habit but also a form of addiction.
The Smoking Cessation program of the USTH aims to help smokers end smoking who cannot do it on their own. Patterned after Start Smart of the United States, the clinic offers free consultations and lung function tests.
But before “Yosi Kadiri” cuts your breath short, Dr. Moral’s tips may be of help to save your health.
Quit cold turkey.
This is probably the best method to quit smoking. One decides to quit and doesn’t smoke again.
Suck and chew.
Hard candies, breath mints, and chewing gums may reduce the severe craving for tobacco and smoking because one has a clean mouth and fresh breath. These also serve as nicotine replacement.
Eat vegetables.
Chewing vegetables such as carrots formed like cigarette sticks will cool off the urgency to smoke. Also, vegetables help rid off the toxins inside your body.
Write it down.
Psychologists say that writing down the negative effects of smoking and the reasons for quitting often helps to wean a person away from smoking.
Contemplate.
Tell yourself that you are healthier when you do not smoke. Reward yourself for every successful attempt of resisting a stick, then focus on more productive things to divert your urgency.
Consult.
Consult the doctors in the Smoking Cessation Clinic of the USTH, located at the Medical Arts building. When you decide to quit smoking, the six-week program will address your concerns. Interested students are free to go to the Clinic for consultation or call the Center for Respiratory Medicine (CRM) with telephone number 749-97-60.
It’s worth the try. Besides, it is never too late to quit to be a winner.
