Glenn Hair started smoking when he was 12\u00a0years old\u00a0and smoked up to two packs\u00a0of cigarettes\u00a0every\u00a0day. He tried to quit smoking numerous times but always found an excuse for why it was\u00a0not\u00a0the right time.\u00a0He\u00a0told himself he would quit later, but when he received his cancer diagnosis, he realized that,\u00a0\u201cOne of these days, later isn\u2019t going to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Hair started working with the\u00a0UNC\u00a0Tobacco Treatment Program\u00a0(TTP)\u00a0while receiving treatment at the NC Cancer Hospital. He\u00a0described\u00a0appreciating\u00a0that his counselors did\u00a0not\u00a0tell him things he already knew, but instead focused on practical solutions to help him quit. He stressed the importance of being prepared and having a plan for handling\u00a0cravings before\u00a0they occurred.<\/p>\n
Mr. Hair\u00a0said that\u00a0working with the\u00a0UNC\u00a0TTP\u00a0was\u00a0similar to\u00a0having a gym partner. He said\u00a0that having support from the TTP and\u00a0\u201cknowing that somebody else would feel a sense of success with me\u201d helped him through cravings and the challenges of quitting. When asked about his experience with the program, Mr. Hair\u00a0stated: \u201cThere was no downside. There was no inconvenience. [The TTP counselors] were phenomenal\u00a0and made everything so easy and\u00a0accessible.\u201d
\nSince becoming\u00a0tobacco\u00a0free, Mr. Hair has noticed that he is able to breathe more easily,\u00a0and\u00a0he\u00a0expressed a sense of pride\u00a0about overcoming\u00a0this obstacle in his life.\u00a0TTP counselors continue to check in with him and provide support as needed.<\/p>\n
His advice for others who are hoping to quit or cut down on their smoking is\u00a0to,\u00a0\u201cAccept the fact that you are probably going to stumble, don\u2019t let that define your effort, and always, always be prepared. Have your back-up tools\u00a0ready.\u201d<\/p>\n