The KNIT to QUIT program will empower you in mind, body and spirit as you make the commitment to become a non-smoker and restore your health.

The craft of knitting and the habit of smoking have both been around for a very long time, but only recently has research shown how effective knitting can be in breaking this habit.  Here are some of the reasons:

1) The act of knitting activates both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously, producing a wide array of physical, cognitive, and emotional changes including increased levels of concentration, and a heightened state of relaxation.  Enabling the body to relax while remaining alert and focused not only creates the perfect scenario for breaking deeply ingrained habits, but these effects are the very same ones produced by nicotine!

2) Another thing knitting and smoking have in common is their ability to trigger the release of endorphins and other \’feel good\’ brain chemicals called endogenous opioids.

3) It has been proven that addictive habits are best tackled when they are not just abandoned but are REPLACED by something else.  Knitting is a perfect replacement for smoking because it mimics so many of the effects of smoking.  It also calms the body during its detoxification process, and knitting needles provide a perfect replacement for the tactile habit of holding a cigarette.

Selected References:

Smoking cessation: creating a quit-smoking plan – Mayo Clinic staff

Smoking Cessation Strategies and Research – Randy A. Gilchrist, Psy.D

Dealing With Weight Gain – www.smoking-cessation.org

The Medical Journal of Australia: Quitting smoking in pregnancy

Smokers get help to quit as they knit- by Alison Freeman, BBC News, London

Nicotine Addiction and Cigarettes (Pamphlet published by: American Lung Association, Aug. 1989)