[Click! Health] Today is 'Bubu Day'... Let's Quit Smoking and Drink Moderately Together

May 21st is celebrated as 'Couple's Day' every year. It was established to symbolize the idea that two (2) individuals become one (1) couple through marriage during May, the month dedicated to family. In the era of longevity, maintaining a healthy life together as a couple requires careful management of lifestyle habits related to health, such as drinking and smoking. In honor of Couple's Day, we explored how to wisely manage these habits.

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First, since everyone knows that excessive drinking is harmful to the liver, it is important to manage the situation if your spouse frequently drinks excessively. Alcohol can cause various liver diseases such as fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. When alcohol is consumed, more than 90% is processed by the liver. Therefore, if you drink more alcohol than the liver can handle over a long period, alcohol metabolites can cause liver diseases through various mechanisms. Additionally, Koreans tend to consume a lot of side dishes with alcohol, which can lead to or worsen obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, it can also cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, alcohol addiction, and alcoholic dementia.

Differences in drinking habits between spouses can be a source of conflict, and if couples enjoy drinking together, it can be difficult to recognize alcohol-related problems. Therefore, it is important to maintain proper drinking habits regularly. Professor Lee Jeong-ah of the Department of Family Medicine at Seoul Asan Medical Center advised, "Couples need to check each other's drinking habits and, if there are problems, work together to reduce alcohol consumption." She added, "If excessive drinking continues, consulting a specialist and receiving medication treatment can be helpful."

Smoking is also a lifestyle habit that requires management. Smoking is known to be associated with various cancers such as lung cancer, esophageal cancer, oral cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, bladder cancer, and kidney cancer. In particular, smoking affects not only smokers but also family members exposed to secondhand smoke.

If your spouse has decided to quit smoking, it helps to find alternatives to replace the urge to smoke. It is recommended to find ways to relieve stress from quitting smoking, such as exercising together to break a sweat or visiting restaurants to enjoy delicious food. Utilizing smoking cessation clinics at public health centers can provide counseling and prescribe smoking cessation aids.

Especially during moments when the willpower to quit smoking weakens, family members can be the strongest supporters. When a smoking spouse struggles with cravings, offering water, juice, nicotine gum, or throat lozenges can help overcome nicotine cravings. Methods to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings include oral medications or nicotine patches. It is best to use these smoking cessation aids after consulting a specialist. Professor Lee Jeong-ah said, "It is common for people to smoke again after quitting, but in such cases, it is important to encourage the smoking spouse not to fall into self-blame for failing to quit." She emphasized, "Even if it happens repeatedly, continuously overcoming failures builds confidence that they can eventually quit smoking."