A recent study published in the British Medical Journal and reported in the Chicago Tribune cites the dramatic benefits of giving up the habit regardless of your age and how long you've been smoking. The new research indicates that giving up smoking even late in life eliminates most of the lung cancer risk. And for those who quit before they turn 35, the risk is decreased more than 90 percent.

Lung cancer is second only to heart disease as the leading killer of smokers in Europe and the United States. Tobacco also has been linked to more than 20 other diseases and kills half of lifelong smokers. The study indicates, however, that since 1950 when smoking was irrefutably connected to the occurrence of lung disease, the widespread drop in smokers halved the number of cancer deaths that otherwise would have occurred.

Of course no matter how early in life a smoker quits, some of the damage done is irreversible and the risk of cancer never returns to normal. (Starting before age 18 is particularly harmful to the lungs according to the study). But the report found that only 1.7 percent of those who quit by age 30 developed the disease by age 75, compared with the 0.4 percent chance for people who never smoked.

Unfortunately, the research also found that 1 billion smokers still continue with the habit and that by 2030 another billion or so young adults will have started. If the trends continue, 10 million deaths a year will be attributed to tobacco, about 15 percent of all adult deaths worldwide.

Considering the consequences of smoking and the immediate health benefits from breaking the habit, smokers who are tired of being controlled by cigarettes might consider self-hypnosis - the power of their mind to help free themselves from their addiction. The practice works. Over the past several years, using "mental aversion" and "smoking trigger" techniques, I've watched dozens of clients reduce their dependence on nicotine and deal aggressively with their temptation to smoke.

If you, or someone you know is a smoker willing to set a "Quit Date," call me to learn about the self-hypnosis program that I offer for smokers committed to freeing themselves from their cigarette addictions.

Return to Topics of Interest