Quit smoking this World No Tobacco Day; here's how

Tobacco addiction is difficult to get rid of. People struggle with it for years before completely quitting smoking. World No Tobacco Day is organised on May 31 every year by World Health Organization. The day aims to create awareness about tobacco’s harmful effects, reported News 18.

This World No Tobacco Day will focus on the effects of tobacco on people’s health. Lung cancer is the most common consequence of smoking. It destroys your physical and mental health. WHO says that it’s never too late to quit smoking. The American Cancer Society suggests smokers to pick a day in the coming month as their ‘Quit Day’.

Picking a date too far away from the day you decide to quit gives you time to change your mind. Choose a date that hold special significance like a birthday to motivate you further. Or just pick a random date; you can make it significant by quitting smoking on that day. Inform your friends and family about your ‘Quit Day’ so that they can offer extra motivation leading up to the day. On ‘Quit Day’, make sure you get rid of all cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters and all other smoking paraphernalia from your surroundings.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is another effective option. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance. When you don’t get regular supply of it, it can result in nasty withdrawal symptoms. NRT is available in the form of gum, patches, sprays, inhalers and lozenges. It provides you with the notice you need to overcome to addiction but doesn’t contain the harmful chemicals present in tobacco. NRT relieves the physical symptoms of withdrawal and allows you to focus on the physiological aspects of recovery.

You can even seek behavioural therapies to combat your addiction. The therapy can combat root cause of tobacco addiction and thus help you quit smoking for good.