The lyrics to the song go, “Summertime and the living is easy...” Well living is what it is all about so why not use the change of season to make another change as summer is a time when many people try to stop smoking. They feel being a bit busier outdoors, having more sunlight to make the days longer, and just the freedom of being outdoors helps set the stage for stopping smoking. Also, stopping smoking early in the summer can give you at least three months of solid smoke-free time under your belt before the season changes to becoming cloudier, shorter days and the inevitable winter months when you spend most of your time indoors. So why not plan to stop smoking today.
Look over the BecomeanEX.org website and develop a plan of action. Medication will help, making plans to manage your triggers will help, talking with a support group or support person will help, and setting a quit date will help. Set your quit date as soon as you can put your plan in place and have the entire summer to enjoy being smoke-free You’ll have a happier, healthier, and wealthier summer season. Get ready, get set, and go enjoy a smoke-free summer. “…fish are jumping and the cotton is high.”
Dr.Richard Hurt is an internationally recognized expert on tobacco dependence. A native of Murray, Kentucky, he joined Mayo Clinic in 1976 and is now a Professor of Medicine at its College of Medicine. In 1988, he founded the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center and since then its staff has treated more than 50,000 patients for tobacco dependence. Send your questions directly to Dr. Hurt at AskTheExpert@becomeanex.org
