Change Your Trigger, Kick the Habit

We talk a lot about quitting smoking as if it’s a switch someone can just turn on and off. But if you’ve ever tried to quit smoking, you know that, for most people, it’s no walk in the park. Smoking becomes as much a part of your daily routine as it is an addictive behavior. One way to be successful is to make some slight changes to your routine and the things in your day that trigger the craving for a smoke. And, try not to take on so many changes at once that you replace smoking with stress!

• Get rid of ashtrays, lighters, cigarette papers or any other smoking aids from your house, car or anywhere else you smoke.
  
  
• If you always smoke in the car, take away the in-car lighter. Keep sugarless gum or a healthy snack, like almonds, in the car.
  
  
• If you always smoke as soon as you wake up in the morning, spend 5 minutes stretching as soon as you get out of bed. Go straight into the shower or take a brisk walk to the end of the street and back.
  
  
• If smoking and coffee go together for you, invest in a small French press, leave it at your desk and have your coffee at work; or, take your coffee with you on that brisk walk.
  
  
• Find other ways at work to connect with your “smoking buddies” – encourage them to come on a smoke-free walk with you during break time.
  
  
• Alcohol and smoking often go hand-in-hand. Instead of the post-work happy hour, find a physical activity or other hobby you can enjoy to wind down at the end of the day – play a game with friends or family, or clean out those files you never have time to get to.
  
  
• Finally, make a plan for the money you are saving. A friend recently said that his brother and sister-in-law quit smoking and put the $10 a day they spent in cigarettes into a jar, which they then used to go on their dream vacation to Europe!

What do you dream of? A trip?  A new car? Desperately needed home improvements? The key is to form new patterns in your life that aren’t associated with smoking, and reap the benefits of your success!

Quit Tobacco Resources

King County employee resources:

• Free customized support - Quit For Life. Provided by King County for employees and their family members over 18, this program provides a customized plan to help you quit tobacco. Quit For Life is the Nation's most successful tobacco cessation program and is confidential. Receive free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) mailed directly to your home. Call 1-866-Quit-4-Life (1-866-784-8454) to register.
  
• Reimbursement for the patch and other nicotine replacement treatment – Both KingCare^SM and Group Health offer free or reimbursed over-the-counter drugs such as the patch, gum etc. Go to the Health Matters Quit Tobacco site or call 206-684-1556 for details.
  
• See your doctor - Group Health and Aetna/KingCare^SM members may schedule a visit with their doctor for tobacco cessation help including developing a quit plan and discussing available pharmacological and over-the- counter medications. Your provider can help you determine which quit methods are right for you. Your KingCare^SM visit is covered at 100%. Group Health copays apply.

Community resources:

• Washington State Quit Line – 1-800-QUIT-NOW or online at www.quitline.com. The Quit Line provided telephone coaching and an internet-based quit tool. It's free to anyone living in Washington state.
  
• Public Health - Seattle & King County – call 206-296-7613 for information on community resources and other tools to help you quit.
  
• American Lung Association - Free online support through Freedom from Smoking. Freedom from Smoking community support groups (7-week sessions) are open to everyone. Find a session near you through the website.
  
• American Cancer Society – 800-ACS-2345 or online at www.cancer.org.