Smoking: Breaking the Habit
It is often said that cigarette smoking is the single most important modifiable risk factor for illness and the greatest single cause of preventable premature deaths in the United States. What exactly can be expected when smokers “modify” their behavior?
The evidence is clear that smoking cessation is effective in decreasing the risk of developing a host of tobacco related illnesses. Fifteen years after giving up tobacco, the risk factor for coronary heart disease approaches that of individuals who never smoked. Within two years of quitting, the risk of having a heart attack decreases to a level similar to that for those who have never smoked.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to stop smoking, mainly because of the physical dependence on nicotine that plagues chronic smokers. But this dependence can now be treated effectively with a combination of behavioral and pharmacological methods. This combination roughly doubles the success rate over placebo treatments for individuals who are motivated to quit smoking. Smoking cessation can have an immediate positive impact on an individual’s health; for example, a 35-year-old man who quits smoking will, on the average, increase his life expectancy by 5.1 years.