There was a time, not very long ago, when asking a senior to quit smoking was a moot point. Researchers at that time had no clinical evidence to show that it made any difference in the overall scheme of things. Alas, this is no longer true.
If you smoke, the chances are pretty good that you have been doing it for a very long time. It is hard for a senior to give it up a habit that has become a part of who they are. It is doubly hard if you started smoking long before the harmful effects were well known. Smoking was an acceptable way to cope with stress, curb your appetite and look cool at the same time. After all of this time many older adults deny that smoking is an addictive disease and they still feel that they can quit any time.
Researchers tell us that smoking had no redeeming characteristics at all, and that it damages every organ in your body. Statistics also tell us that 50% of people who are smoking right now will die of some complication due to nicotine use. It doesn’t make quitting any easier but it does give you some pretty good reasons to tackle the problem
It is only recently that researchers have come to realize that age does make a different, and that the needs of older smokers are different in many ways.
Older smokers in general are less inclined to enter formal smoking cessation programs. Their age group has had limited or no experience with support groups and they do not feel comfortable revealing their feelings to others. Therefore trying this particular modality may be a waste of time. In most cases it is not something that the older smoker can do alone. A health care provider can provide referrals and factor in both health and psychosocial modalities.
Health benefits don’t seem to be enough of a deterrent, so other reason for not smoking need to be brought into play. Smoking is expensive and often puts a strain on family relationships. Nonsmokers no longer grin and bear it. Nonsmokers do not want to be around people who smoke. Nonsmokers want their parents and grandparents to be good role models and they want them be alive to enjoy their grandchildren. Nonsmokers also want to protect their children from second hand smoke issues.
Doesn’t the thought of being able to breathe easier and walk further tempt you just a little? The decision is personal. No one else can do it for you. It may be one of the biggest challenges you have ever faced, but it is never too late to change.
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