It's The Time Of Resolutions
By 250 News
Prince George, B.C. - Resolutions about our health and wellness often go hand-in-hand with the start of a new year and a provincial program called, 'Quit Now', is offering phenomenal cash incentives to strengthen your resolve to stop using tobacco.
Program registration is open to anyone across B.C. until January 7th. The contest runs until February 4th and participants need to remain smoke-free to be eligible for large cash prizes. Northern Health's Tobacco Reduction Coordinator, Laura Johnston, says there will be one $5000-dollar prize for someone in the province, in addition to $1000-dollar regional prizes for each health authority. And there are weekly random draws that will see someone in B.C. win $1000. Johnston says, "It's nice motivation for people who want to quit."
While Johnston says any time of the year is a good time to quit tobacco use, she says a lot of people do tend to consider it at 'New Years' Resolution' time. She says Northern Health does see a surge in clientele at its cessation program in January.
Johnston says it's really important to have support in place, if you plan to quit -- so finding a buddy willing to quit too, or taking advantage of a program in the community. She says there are a variety of local resources: talk with your doctor, talk with your pharmacist, contact Northern Health's NICC program, or the B.C. Lung Association's Quit Now program.
The Tobacco Reduction Coordinator says the reality is that you may not be successful the first time you quit, "On average, it takes five to seven times and it's because nicotine is such an addictive product, but realize you're normal, stay on course."
Johnston says whether your previous attempts lasted for a day, a month, or a year -- that's success. She says your next 'quit plan' just needs to look at how to build on that success. "If it was a situation where you went back to smoking because you were highly stressed, you can use that in your quit plan next time."
"The most important thing is: quitting is a learning process. It takes time to master it, really be patient with yourself, ask for support -- from whoever it is in the community or your friends and family and co-workers -- and just keep believing that you can do it and take it one day at a time."
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1. It is not good for my health
2. I am tired of being a slave to tobacco.
3. I am tired of making the Government and the Tobacco industry rich at my expense.
4. Smoking makes my cloths, and car smell.
5. There are thousands of chemicals in tobacco, and tobacco papers, and all of them are detrimental.
Rather than quitting smoking forever, people should just quit for the day, and then try to quit the next day, and so on. After a couple of weeks you will start to notice that you are thinking about smoking less and less. Eventually over time you will quit thinking about it altogether, and will actually start to wonder why you smoked in the first place.
Dont be hard on yourself. Tell yourself that you can smoke anytime you chose, however for to-day I chose not to.
Anyone can go and buy a package of cigarettes, and light one up and start smoking, thats easy. Its a little harder to not do that.
Finally be honest with yourself. Tell yourself that if you can come up with an good HONEST reason why you should have a cigarette, then have one. If you are being HONEST, you will never have to smoke again.
Have a nice day.