One cigarette contains more than 7000 chemicals—around 70 of them are known to cause cancer. It can take years, maybe decades, for you to feel the consequences of the harmful chemicals. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t damaging your cells now. You may feel healthy today, but what you can’t see could be killing you.

It certainly is easier to be part of a group or to have friends who support your decisions. It’s your health and your future so you have to decide what is best for you. Hopefully your friends will want to help you succeed in whatever you decide is best for you. Quitting is a personal journey, and you can do it. Peer pressure should not stop you from leading a healthier, happier life free of tobacco.

Even one cigarette can hurt your lungs, blood vessels and increase the risk of cancer. Cutting back is not enough. Remember, of the more than 7000 chemicals in one cigarette, at least 70 of them are known to cause cancer. Reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke can be a way to wean yourself off, but quitting—completely—is the only way to stop damaging your body. Join our 28-Day Challenge and begin your journey towards a tobacco-free life today.

Quitting differs for everybody. For some, it takes one try. For others it takes several attempts. Each attempt you make to quit is a step in the right direction. Do not give up on yourself. You can do it, as many people have. Pay attention to the other times you relapsed—what caused it? If you can identify it, be sure to have hobbies and methods in place for when it’s particularly tough. Studies have shown that pharmacotherapy (medication and nicotine replacement therapy) together with counselling can double your chances of quitting for good.

You may experience withdrawal symptoms—coughing, light-headedness, dizziness, headaches, constipation, stomach pain, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, increased appetite, tingling in the hands or feet. It may be uncomfortable. But these symptoms are only temporary. Think of them as e “good pains”—signs that your body is healing itself:

• People should continue using proven safety measures like regular hand-cleaning, using masks and practicing social distancing to reduce transmission of the virus.
• The lungs are clearing away tar, dead cells and extra mucus.
• The body is getting extra oxygen and less carbon monoxide.
• Intestinal movements may slow down for a brief period.
• The body takes time to adjust to the lack of stimulation from nicotine.
• Sense of taste and smell improves.
• Blood circulation improves with more supply of oxygen to the fingers and toes.

COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing severe disease and death, yet because these vaccines have only been developed in recent months it is still too early to know the exact duration of the protection they provide.

Research is ongoing to answer this question. However, it’s encouraging that the available data suggests that most people who recover from COVID-19 develop an immune response that provides protection against reinfection for some time, although we’re still learning how strong this protection is, and how long it lasts.

This, too, is normal. It means your brain is adjusting to the absence of nicotine, which is a chemical that has been altering your brain for as long as you have been smoking. To calm yourself:

• Do relaxation exercises.
• Listen to soothing music.
• Catch a movie (ideally something light-hearted, such as comedies).
• Warn your family and friends of potential irritability.
• Do light exercises like brisk walking. It will release endorphins that lift your mood.
• Take a whiff of peppermint oil or drink peppermint tea to calm your nerves.

Nicotine, which is addictive, is a stimulant that forces your body to feel awake, energized. In draining your system of the chemical residues, you may experience fatigue. But as your blood circulation improves, you will feel fresh without the need to smoke. To cope with the fatigue or lack of concentration:

• Get enough sleep.
• Don’t tire yourself out.
• Do light exercises, like brisk walking.
• Take small, regular meals to regulate your blood sugar level and boost your energy.
• Replace coffee with ginger or herbal tea to perk up your system.

It is nothing to worry about. Your lungs are starting to function properly again and are working to clear the tar, dead cells and extra mucus accumulated from the cigarettes.

• Sip warm water.
• Suck on sugar-free cough drops.

That tingling is a sign that your blood circulation is slowly improving and more oxygen is finally reaching your fingers and toes. That tingling is your fingers and toes feeling happy again! It will stop when your body adapts to the improved circulation. Exercise, walks and relaxing hobbies such as reading will help.