Local Classes

Athens Regional Medical Center
706-475-5620 ...more info

St. Mary's Hospital
706-355-7292 ...more info

Georgia Quit Line  1-877-270-STOP

Quit Tips..................

• Set a quit date and stick to it
• Prepare yourself by hiding or throwing away ashtrays and tobacco products
• Make a list of what "triggers" you to smoke (i.e, drinking coffee, stress, being around other smokers) and choose alternate ways to handle those situations
• Drink lots of water
• Keep sugarless candy or gum as well as carrot sticks, celery sticks, and pretzels on hand
• If you are interested in nicotine replacement therapy or other medications, consult your physician first
• Reward yourself! Set aside the money you would be spending on tobacco in a safe place.
• After a few weeks or a month (or when you decide), treat yourself something special. Just look at how much money you will be saving:

......................When Smokers Quit

20 minutes after quitting: Your blood pressure drops to a level close to that before the last cigarette. The temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal.
8 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
24 hours after quitting: Your chance of a heart attack decreases.
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases up to 30%.
1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection.
1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting.
10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker's. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decrease.
15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker's.
(American Cancer Society)