No, I’m not talking about the attire worn by a group of women deeply committed to God. I’m referring to tobacco cessation. Many people resolve to quit smoking or otherwise using tobacco as a New Year’s resolution. If that is your resolution, then the trick to being successful is – well, there is no trick. The medical community doesn’t completely understand how people actually quit. Some people can quit cold turkey – my mom did – but for others it takes patches and injections and so forth. Still others need a strong support group. Everyone is different. I wish I could give a formula, but the truth is I can’t.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is offering resources to help you quit smoking in 2013. If you are uninsured and need help such as nicotine patches, please email me at joy@ncchurches.org. There might be some available for free.
Some things obviously support the process and others do not. You can try suggestions based on research and common sense that could make the process of quitting smoking drastically easier, such as exercise. However, if someone is constantly telling you it’s impossible or is smoking around you all the time, quitting becomes harder.
My prayer is for God to lead you to what will work for you, whether through God’s power or God working through other means.
Happy New Year!
–Joy Williams, PHW Regional Consultant
Partners in Health and Wholeness is an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches. PHW aims to connect health as a faith issue. Please visit our website to sign your personal pledge to be healthier, and to find out about grant opportunities for churches in NC. And continue to stay connected with PHW by liking us on Facebook.
