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Tobacco Cessation
P A T I E N T E D U C A T I O N S E R I E S
Is it worth quitting?
Worried about weight gain?
If you’re having trouble getting motivated, think Fear of weight gain prevents many people from quitting smoking. Nicotine suppresses normal • Within 20 minutes of your last cigarette, blood appetite signals, but you can relearn how to eat. Learn pressure, pulse and body temperature return to “listen” to your body’s signals of true hunger and • Within 8 hours of your last cigarette, carbon • Try not to go longer than 2 to 4 hours without a monoxide levels in the blood drop to normal meal or snack. This prevents you from getting and oxygen levels increase to normal.
• Within 2 days of quitting, nerve endings start • Throughout the day, eat smaller, more frequent to regrow and your ability to smell and taste • Eating breakfast is critical to stabilize brain • Within 3 months, circulation improves and chemistry and prevent late-day carbohydrate • Respond to your cravings if you have them, but Quitting requires preparation
with small portions. Restricting food triggers • Know why you are quitting. List the benefits binges and causes guilt. Don’t put foods in “good/ that this change will bring to you. Post them. • Emphasize unprocessed, whole foods, like whole • Tell your friends. This helps bolster your re- grains and fresh fruit. These foods will keep your blood sugar stable and help your mood, too.
• Know your smoking patterns and routine and • Specific chemicals in ex-smokers’ brains cause cravings for fats. Include a little fat or healthy • Break old behavior patterns (coffee, phone, on oils in your meals. Your body chemistry needs way to class, when out with friends).
these foods, and they will keep you from feeling • Recruit a quitting buddy or support person.
• Cravings gradually disappear as eating patterns • Eliminate tobacco products from your home.
normalize. Regular, moderate exercise is very • Have low calorie snacks available.
• Collect the money you save for a special What do most quitters have in
• Have been smokers for 10 or more years.
Prepare for withdrawal symptoms
• Have developed a personal problem related to • Tobacco craving: lasts a maximum of 3-5 min- • Smoke one or more packs per day.
• Irritability, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, fa- • Have tried 3-5 times to quite before.
tigue, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating are • Have developed a health problem related to • Increased Appetite: Weight gain is 5-7 pounds on average the first few weeks; only 5% gain more than 20 pounds. You would have to gain 100 pounds to develop the same health risks BROWN UNIVERSITY HEALTH SERVICES | www.brown.edu/health | 401.863-3953
What about relapse?
How to quit
Learn from it!
Many quit methods exist, but no method is clearly • Did you make adequate preparation to quit? 1. Cold turkey: Stop smoking without seeking as- • In what situation did you begin to use tobacco sistance. 90% of smokers stop “on their own”.
2. Clock method: Delay gratification by increasing the amount of time between each cigarette or • What could you have done to avoid that ciga- 3. Slow withdrawal method: Taper/decrease the number of cigarettes smoked each day.
• How can you deal with stress is a smoke-free 4. Behavioral modifications: This can be provided in a group or through the use of self-help booklets.
• There is a 60% chance of relapse in the first 5. Nicotine replacement methods: Use the nicotine patch or gum to decrease the physiologic symp- • On average, an individual tries to quit 4-5 toms of dependency. The smoker still has to ad- • times before acheiving sucess in staying dress the psychological and behavioral aspects of smoking. You must stop smoking immediately • Changing behavior is not easy. It can take 7 when nicotine replacement is started. Combining nicotine replacement with a behavioral program Reasons to try to quit again
6. Hypnosis: This may be as effective as behavioral 1. To prevent damaging health effects such as: 7. Acupuncture: Randomized trials have not proved it’s effectiveness, but some people find it works.
8. Combined medical approach: Discuss your desire to quit with a Health Services provider who can to 2. To prevent diseases of the teeth and gums.
provide a prescription for Zyban (Wellbutrin) 3. To prevent skin wrinkling and aging.
help decrease cravings. A short course of Zyban 4. To prevent lung cancer (87% related to tobacco in conjunction with the nicotine patch, behavior use) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease change, and regular follow-up appointments has (82% related to tobacco use). Damaging lung ef- 5. To decrease your risk of heart disease by 50% as For more information contact:
University Health Services 401.863-3953 6. To be rid of an inconvenient, expensive, and odor Confidential medical care, including prescriptions for Zyban. Pamphlets on quitting smoking available 7. To increase your self-esteem and be a good role throughout the building. Located at 13 Brown Street model. Side-stream smoke inhaled by friends and on the corner of Brown and Charlesfield Streets.
family members is more damaging to them than 1-800-TRY TO STOP (1-800-879-8678) Remember: Every attempt you make improves
This helpline provides referrals to local programs, your changes of quitting and staying quit! phone counseling and can mail out information packets. It is free, confidential and available in Eng- lish and Spanish. Monday through Thursday, 9am to BROWN UNIVERSITY HEALTH SERVICES | www.brown.edu/health | 401.863-3953

Source: http://brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/library/documents/TobaccoCessation13.pdf