Healthy Monday, A New Approach to Quitting Smoking
The American Legacy Foundation®, in observance of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, encourages smokers trying to quit to plan quit attempts "every Monday." Many smokers trying to quit become discouraged when one or two quit attempts do not succeed, yet ex- smokers report trying to quit a number of times before quitting successfully. "Healthy Mondays" gives smokers who want to quit the opportunity to renew their commitment to quitting each week. "Many smokers feel a sense of failure when they have relapses, after resolving to quit or promising a loved one to quit," says foundation President and CEO Cheryl Healton, Dr.P.H. "Making the decision to stop smoking isn't easy, because nicotine is such a powerful addiction. With the right planning and preparation, any day can be a good day to quit, so we urge smokers to try again."
Research indicates that 70 percent of the nation's smokers want to quit, and 41 percent made a quit attempt for at least one day. "Healthy Monday puts health on the calendar every week, a culturally-fixed day, 52 weeks a year, when Americans focus on forming (or re-forming) better health habits," says Dr. Allan Rosenfield, with Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
Smokers interested in the quit stories of two ex-smokers can log on to www.bobquits.com and www.maryquits.com to view Legacy's two reality tv-inspired Web-based programs, Bob Quits and Mary Quits.
