Health & Fitness: Quit smoking for better health

Smoking cigarettes in California seems to be a practice that’s going out of style.
Only 14 percent of Californian’s adult population smokes cigarettes, the lowest percentage in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The highest rate in the nation is in West Virginia, where 26.5 percent of adults smoke.
In California, unlike in West Virginia, smoking is banned in restaurants, bars and the workplace — and that’s not all. Smoking was recently banned entirely on Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz.
Students in the county also frown more often on cigarette use. According to results released last month from the most recent California Healthy kids survey, 6 percent more of seventh graders, ninth graders and 11th graders agree that the frequent use of cigarettes is harmful or extremely harmful, compared to the survey taken in 2007.
The 6 percent increase raises the total number of students who profess this belief to more than 86 percent of high school students who were surveyed in the county.
So, what’s to stop you from putting down cigarettes for good? According to www.smokefree.gov, it’s important to decide for sure that you want to quit before you start, because a half-hearted effort will not get the job done.
The first step is to decide reasons to quit. Take a look at these sample reasons to get you on your way:
• I will feel healthier right away. I will have more energy and better focus. My senses of smell and taste will be better. I will have whiter teeth and fresher breath. I will cough less and breathe more easily.
• I will be healthier the rest of my life. I will lower my risk for cancer, heart attack, stroke, early death, cataracts and skin wrinkling.
• I will make my friends, family, kids, grandchildren and co-workers proud of me.
• I will be proud of myself.
• I will no longer expose others to my second-hand smoke.
• I will have a healthier baby (if you or your partner is pregnant or hopes to be.)
• I will have more money to spend.
• I won’t have to worry, “When will I get to smoke next?” or “What will I do when I’m in a smoke-free place?”
If any of those reasons resonates with you, visit this Web site for the next steps in the process to quit smoking.