MATC Matters

Quitting smoking isn’t easy, but it is a fight you can win.

Thursday, November 20, is the Great American Smokeout. Let this year be the year you make a plan to quit cigarettes for good. By using at least one of the ways listed below for your quit attempt, you can double your chances of being successful. 

Here are some steps to help you prepare for your Quit Day:
• Pick the date and mark it on your calendar.
• Tell friends and family about your Quit Day.
• Get rid of all the cigarettes and ashtrays in your home, car, and place of work.
• Stock up on oral substitutes – sugarless gum, carrot sticks, and/or hard candy.
• Decide on a plan. Will you use Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) or other medicines? Will you attend a   stop-smoking class?
• Talk to your doctor about a strategy that might work for you.
• Practice saying, “No thank you, I don’t smoke.�
• Set up a support system. This could be a group class, Nicotine Anonymous, or a friend or family member who has successfully quit and is willing to help you. Ask family and friends who still smoke not to smoke around you or leave cigarettes out where you can see them.
• Think back to your past attempts to quit. Try to figure out what worked and what did not work for you.

More help for your quit plan:
• Call the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line at 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669)
• Visit the Quit Line
• Visit the American Cancer Society website or call the local office at (608) 833-4555
• Find support
• Talk to your physician about medications that are right for you
• Contact Employee Wellness Coordinator Cindi Rutten (608-243-4133) to help you with your quit plan.

You can do it!