Smoking remains the #1 preventable cause of disease and premature death in the world. The third Thursday of November is the Great American Smokeout, which is a day scheduled for smokers all around the country to set a personal goal to quit smoking.

Here are three things to consider in helping to determine if you are ready to live tobacco free: 

Make a pros and cons list. First, make a list of everything you enjoy about smoking and the reasons you dislike smoking. Then, write out your concerns about quitting and what worries or barriers are present that are preventing you from becoming tobacco free. Finally, write out what you feel like your life would be like if you were tobacco free. If the pros outweigh the cons, it may be a good sign you are ready to start thinking about becoming tobacco free.

Are you feeling the physical symptoms of smoking? Are activities that used to be easy such as going for a walk, climbing stairs or playing with your children or grandchildren all of a sudden a lot harder? If you are a smoker and feeling shortness of breath with little to no physical activity, there could possibly be a chance that your lung function may not be as good as it used to be. Typically, within two to three months after quitting smoking, your lung functioning will improve, and you will notice symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath lessen. 

Can you afford to not quit? The average price of cigarettes in Columbus is $6.10 a pack. If you smoke one pack a day you would spend over $2200 a year. Imagine what you could do with this extra money each year. Click the following link to see how much money that you are currently spending on tobacco. quitnow.ca/quitting/calculate-my-savings

Take advantage of the support and strategies you need to improve your chances of quitting for good!

Are you ready to commit to making this the year that you become tobacco free for good? Join Health Coach Michael on September 28 at noon for the webinar Taking Steps Towards Becoming Tobacco Free to learn about quitting strategies and cessation products and medications offered by the OSU Health Plan. To register for the webinar, please click the link above or go to linktohealth.osu.edu and search by date or keyword “tobacco.”

The OSU Health Plan wants to support you by providing a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist complimentary to faculty, staff, and dependents who are benefits eligible. A health coach will guide you through this program providing you the tools, resources and support that you need to start living tobacco free. To request a coach email: Healthcoach.Osuhealthplan@osumc.edu. All appointments are confidential and done over the phone.

image credit: istockphoto.com