World No Tobacco Day- 3 Foods and Drinks To Avoid When Trying To Quit Smoking

Using any kind of tobacco product is unsafe, especially for kids, teens, and young adults. But worldwide, at least 14 million young people age 13 to 15 currently use tobacco products, according to CDC’s 2006-2017 Global Youth Tobacco Survey. Tobacco companies, meanwhile, spend billions of dollars every year on marketing tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, and others.

Since 1988, the World Health Organization (WHO) has used World No Tobacco Dayexternal icon to highlight the harmful effects of cigarettes and other tobacco products on a person’s overall health. This year, WHO is focusing on preventing youth tobacco product use and the tobacco industry’s attempts to attract youth.

Tips for quitting smoking are everywhere. Ranging from practical advice to help you deal with the psychological aspects of cravings through to quitting approaches like medications and nicotine replacement therapies that are well-supported by evidence, everyone seems to have a suggestion for helping you stay cigarette-free.

Some tips are more common than others, though, and most smokers wouldn’t even think about the food or drink they consume as being a potential benefit or hindrance when trying to quit, but some research and the experiences of smokers suggests that they really could be.

# Meat

In the study that asked smokers about things which enhanced or detracted from the taste of cigarettes, meat was identified as something that made smoking taste better. You don’t have to go vegetarian, but cutting down on the meat might make it easier to cut down on cigarettes.

# Alcohol

Alcohol and cigarettes are a good pairing from a smoker’s perspective, and alcohol was identified as something which made smoking taste better. Reducing the amount you drink or avoiding it altogether is good for this reason, but it also helps avoid any tipsy decisions to have “just one” cigarette.

# Caffeine

Caffeine – whether as part of coffee, tea, cola or in any other form – was also identified as something that made cigarettes taste better. Avoiding caffeine or reducing your intake could make it easier to stay away from cigarettes.