Smoking Cessation

Smoking cigarettes is harmful to almost every organ in the body. It is the main cause of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is often the cause of coronary heart disease, stroke and many other diseases. Every year, millions of deaths worldwide can be attributed to tobacco use. With each cigarette, the risk of developing heart disease or lung cancer increases. Nicotine is the ingredient in cigarettes that causes addiction. Smoking is physically addictive and can also become socially addictive, as many people link smoking with social activities, making it a difficult addiction to overcome.

Smoking cessation is the process of stopping smoking and the use of tobacco products. Quitting smoking has many advantages including improved circulation, healthy blood pressure levels, easier breathing, and increased sense of smell and taste. Giving up tobacco can help individuals live longer, healthier lives and the risk of developing cancer decreases with each smoke-free year. Quitting smoking often requires multiple attempts. A combination of counseling, medication and the support of others, is often effective in helping individuals quit smoking.

Smoking Cessation Strategies

Quitting smoking is often difficult, especially during the first few weeks. It often helps to create a customized plan for quitting. In addition to focusing on the health benefits of quitting smoking, the following strategies may help people to quit:

  • Pick a specific quit date
  • Let others know you are quitting
  • Remove any reminders of smoking from the home or car
  • Identify smoking triggers
  • Join a support group
  • Avoiding situations that are normally associated with smoking

While trying to quit, people may experience cravings and temporary side-effects such as weight gain, irritability, and anxiety. Often, people try to quit several times before they succeed.

Medication to Help Quit Smoking

Medication is sometimes used to help with the quitting process. Current over-the-counter nicotine replacement products include nicotine gum, patches and lozenges. Nicotine replacement products act as an alternative source of nicotine when cigarette use is stopped. This eliminates the symptoms of withdrawal that may trigger smoking. Once cigarettes have been replaced with nicotine replacement therapy, the nicotine dosage can gradually be reduced. There are also prescribed medications available that may help to overcome nicotine addiction. These treatments also work by gradually decreasing the dependence on nicotine.

The most successful quitting programs often use a combination of medication and group or behavioral counseling.