It is never too late to quit smoking
LEAD
If you're a smoker, or you know someone who smokes, now is the perfect time to give up those cigarettes. November is Lung Cancer Awareness month and this Thursday, November 17th, is "The Great American Smokeout." It's a special day set aside to help encourage smokers to take those critical first steps to kick the habit. REPORTER NAME has more on how you can give yourself an early holiday gift by quitting smoking.
SCRIPT
TRACK:
[Optional: Nats of match]
Millions of Americans light up
every day…often several times a day. But according to some
experts nearly 80 percent of them would like to quit. Dr. Bruce
Johnson of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston says that the desire
to quit is the first step to becoming smoke-free.
Doc Sound:
(Dr. Bruce Johnson, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)
MP3 "deciding to stop"
"The most important part of stopping smoking is to decide that
you want to stop"
TRACK:
Dr. Johnson says cigarettes are addictive and that it can be incredibly difficult to quit smoking. For many people that can mean several attempts. But he reminds us this is very common and should not be viewed as a failure.
Doc Sound:
(Dr. Bruce Johnson, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)
MP3 "keep at it"
"The most important part of smoking cessation is that one keeps
at it."
TRACK:
Studies show that people who quit for 10 to 20 years can cut their risk of developing lung cancer by half. Even people in their 60's, 70's, and 80's who quit can lower their chances of dying from a heart attack or developing cancer.
Doc Sound:
(Dr. Bruce Johnson, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)
MP3 "cut down on risk of"
"One of the things we believe is that if you can quit smoking is
that you'll cut down on your chances of dying from a heart attack,
you'll cut down on your risk of lung cancer, and you can down your
risk of head and neck cancer"
TRACK:
So how can you quit?
The American Cancer Society
recommends picking a day and asking friends and family to
help. Determine what will work best for you…stopping cold
turkey, gradual withdrawal, using nicotine replacement, or joining a
cessation program.
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Also avoid certain triggers, like bars or other spots where people
tend to smoke. If you usually take a smoking break at work, ask a
friend to go for a walk instead. Exercise can help decrease your
cravings. Above all, keep busy.
Doc Sound:
(Dr. Bruce Johnson, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)
MP3 "never too late"
"One of the things we'd like to stress is that it's never
too late to quit"
Maybe today is the day you take those first steps in kicking the habit.
