The #1 Thing Iowa Men Can do to Improve their Health

For Men’s Health Month, the American Lung Association in Iowa is shining a light on one of the most important things that Iowa men can do to improve their health -- quit tobacco.

Here in Iowa, tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death, resulting more than 5,000 deaths each year. Smoking causes heart disease, cancer and stroke, which are the first, second and fifth leasing causes of death among American men.

The Lung Association offers five tips to help Iowa men quit tobacco for Men’s Health Month:

1. Learn from past experiences. Most people who use tobacco have tried to quit before and sometimes they get discouraged thinking about previous attempts. But these experiences tell us a lot about what to do and what not to do next time! In fact, it takes the average tobacco user 11 attempts to quit for good. Think about what worked for you last time, what didn't work and what you might do differently this time.
2. You don't have to quit alone. Telling friends and family that you're trying to quit and enlisting their support will help ease the process. Expert help is available from the Lung Association and other groups. Friends who also use tobacco may even join you in trying to quit!
3. Stress management is key: Many tobacco users use tobacco to manage stress, distress, and negative emotions. Being prepared with other ways to manage these feelings can be difficult and takes a lot of practice.
4. Medications are safe and effective and will help you quit and stay quit when used properly: The seven FDA-approved medications include nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, inhaler, and nasal spray as well as varenicline (Chantix) and bupropion (Zyban). Ask your healthcare provider for recommendations. The medications help with withdrawal symptoms, urges and cravings, but do not help with managing stress or negative emotions. Resources like Quitline Iowa can be used in combination with medication to help with managing stress and emotions.
5. Use Free Resources Available in Iowa: When you are ready, Quitine Iowa is available to help you on your tobacco-free journey.

Quitline Iowa is a free service with a team of coaches trained to safely guide people down the path to success. Quitline Iowa pairs tobacco users with a quit coach to help them develop an individualized quitting plan and determine how to best help them stay tobacco-free. A quit coach also helps by:

• Preparing participants for their quit date
• Providing tips and support to live in a tobacco-free environment
• Offering advice and information on medications that may help with withdrawal symptoms

Iowans can take advantage of Quitline Iowa by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669), or visiting www.quitlineiowa.org to enroll. Registration specialists and quit coaches are available 24 hours a day.