According to a shocking study published in the Journal of Oncology Practice, 56% of active smokers continued to smoke after getting a cancer diagnosis. While it’s widely known that cigarettes contain carcinogens, and are that smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer, it’s also true that smoking can interfere with effective cancer treatments like radiation therapy and certain kinds of smoking.

Less than 65% of smokers diagnosed with cancer even received information about quitting smoking from a health professional. In light of that, here are some basic tips that can help anyone quit smoking.

1) Set a quit date - and then stick to it.

2) Discard all cigarettes, ashtrays, and lighters in your home, car and office so that your environment is welcoming to a non-smoker by your quit date.

3) Get help from family and friends – they can help you to avoid backsliding.

4) Tell other smokers not to offer you cigarettes.

5) Develop new behaviors to help you avoid your smoking triggers. For example, if you’re used to smoking after work, come up with a new ritual, such as taking a run or playing basektball.

6) Avoid places where you used to smoke, like bars and parks.

7) Have cigarette substitutes on hand. Sugar-free candy, gum, breath mints, and even toothpicks, can help you fight the urge to smoke.

8) It can help to enlist the aid of medication, such as nicotine gum, a nicotine inhaler, or a nicotine patch. Many cessation aids are available over-the-counter, but you should still talk to your doctor about what’s right for you. These medications can more than double your chances of quitting for good, but you must use them correctly.

9) Be prepared for the possibility that you may relapse – and don’t let that relapse become the end of your quitting efforts.

10) Finally, remember that most people try to quit smoking several times before they succeed. Decide that you’re going to quit, and don’t stop trying until you do.

Anyone who smokes should know that they can quit – if they are willing commit themselves to the effort.

Related Links:

Smoking Cessation Videos – illumistream health

Study: Smokers Don't Quit – Fox News

American Lung Association – official site

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