Stopping Smoking

王旦芬

The best thing you can do for your health and the health of your family is to stop smoking. It can be difficult at times in the early stages but it really is worth it. More and more New Zealanders are choosing to stop smoking for the good of themselves and their families.

Why stop smoking？

You probably know that smoking is harmful to your lungs but did you know that it is also damages your heart and blood vessels？

In fact， if you smoke you are 2-4 times more likely to have a stroke.

There are thousands of bad things in the smoke you breathe in， which can：

*Reduce the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry.

*Raise your blood pressure， so that your heart has to work harder.

*Make your blood more likely to become hard.

In general， smoking expensive cigarette costs more than $20 per day for 20 cigarettes， $141 per week， $7，350 per year， $73，500 over 10 years！ Think what you could do with that money.

Remember that smoking around others can damage their health too.

How can I stop smoking？

You are twice as likely to stop smoking forever with support rather than without support and if you use some medicine you are twice as likely to stop smoking forever.

If you want to stop smoking， here are some things that have been shown to help：

*Write a list of your reasons for giving up smoking and keep the list with you， telling you the good things you will enjoy.

*Set a date for doing so and stick to it.

*Tell the people who will support you about your decision.

*Move away all the things that have something to do with smoke.

*Get to know the situations in which you are more likely to smoke and practice in your mind how you will deal with them.

*Be positive. You are more likely to remain positive if you continue to buy yourself something you like for being a non-smoker.

Vocabulary

vessel n. 血管

stroke n. 中风

pressure n. 压力

positive adj. 积极乐观的

（Does your father smoke？ What have you done to stop him smoking？）