On World No Smoking Day, advice on how to quit

The bad news is that the number of Israelis who started to smoke – either on the battlefield of Gaza or civilians anxious about what’s going on in the country – has increased.

The good news is that Clalit Healthcare Services – the largest health fund that insures half of the population – reports on World No Smoking Day (May 31) a 27% increase in calls to the smoking cessation advice line in the last five months. 

More than one in five Israeli adults smoke, but many more non-smokers are exposed to no less toxic second and third-hand smoke from others or from objects – furniture, drapes, and the like – to which the toxins stick and that they touch. 

Fully 70% to 80% of participants in Clalit’s detoxification services (group workshops or personal telephone counseling) kick the habit when their participation has ended, and their achievement is maintained even a year later by 45% of the participants. In international terms, this is an extremely high success rate, according to Prof. Diane Levin-Zamir, head of Clalit’s education and health promotion department.

“During the months of combat and emergency routine, we continued to offer smoking cessation services and support those who want to quit, especially during this period of emergency and distress, where there is sometimes a tendency to return to smoking or increase the amount of smoking. We also held hotel workshops for those evacuated from the south and north of the country, expanded the phone counseling line, and produced up-to-date data and informational materials to encourage and strengthen those who want to quit,” said Levin-Zamir.

The health fund also prepared a video with advice on how to persist in smoking cessation even though the emergency situation and the stress persist. Clalit urged smokers and those who are undecided about quitting, to contact our free smoking-cessation services and to use its professionals who will help them along in the process of kicking the habit. 

During such pressured times, it’s harder to make a change in one’s life habits, but for some, this is actually an opportunity to change and improve their health. Smoking is known to be the most significant cause of damage to health, chronic disease, and premature death. For those who are used to smoking, lighting up may feel at that moment like relief, but it is only a momentary release, and in a short time, the body feels restlessness so the need to smoke returns. 

Smoking in itself causes a rise in blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension in the body and can trigger a greater feeling of stress. Conversely, quitting smoking contributes to a reduction in depression, anxiety, and stress levels in the long term. People who quit often report feeling freer and calmer, said Levin-Zamir.

In times of emergency people may feel the need for a positive change 

Anati Yom-Tov, health promoter and director of Clalit’s telephone counselling for smoking cessation, added that despite the difficulty in the process of quitting smoking, there are people who – in times of emergency or such a prolonged period of an emergency routine – feel the need for a positive change in their lives and view it as an opportunity to improve their health habits. 

“Everyone has a different motivation to quit smoking – for health reasons, a desire to protect the family from exposure to second-hand smoke and save money, to break free from cigarette addiction, to smell better, and more,” she continued. “What most smokers have in common is that smoking is based, among other things, on habits, and habits can be changed. Changing habits can take some time and practice, but the more you practice and practice these changes, the more likely you are to succeed.” 

She recommended ways to change habits that can help smokers kick the habit: Separating your drinking of coffee from smoking a cigarette. Most people light up alongside a cup of coffee. To break the habit, it is recommended to disconnect this coupling and drink coffee or any other drink separately from the cigarette.

Establish a smoke-free house. Avoid smoking in closed spaces like a home or in a car. Smokers should light up, if they must, only in the street, not even on one’s outdoor balcony. 

Keep cigarettes out of sight, in a closed closet, for example, to reduce the temptation of buying and lighting them. 

Exercise to raise the heart rate safely, depending on personal fitness, age, and physical ability, by going up and down the stairs of the building, taking a walk, and doing a number of push-ups, sit-ups, and kneeling exercises (squats). This contributes to the secretion of natural chemical substances in the brain that contribute to raising the mood, reducing stress, and reducing the desire to smoke.

Keep busy and do things you like to do, something good for yourself or others, like cooking, cleaning the house, playing, dancing, and volunteering.

Practice deep breathing by inhaling deeply into the abdominal cavity, holding the air for a moment and exhaling the air from the mouth in a slow and long exhalation.

Talk to someone. Don’t face your detoxification alone. Share your feelings with friends and family, who can support you in the process.

Write on a page all the reasons and benefits of quitting smoking. Everyone has something different that motivates them to quit.

For information on free group workshops (face-to-face or digital) for smoking cessation, you can contact the clinic staff, the family doctor or phone *2700 for Clalit. The other three health funds offer similar free services.