"Every time you light up, even if it's just a few cigarettes a day," says Dr. Janet Bruno, medical director for OptumHealth Consumer Solutions, "you are not only endangering your own health, but also the health of those around you -- down to the youngest member of your family." Given these sobering facts, learning how to quit smoking once and for all remains a top priority for many smokers -- it's just easier said than done. An estimated 70 percent of smokers want to quit, but only 1.2 million per year succeed in quitting smoking for good, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research has shown, though, that using some form of nicotine replacement or participating in formal quit smoking counseling can improve your chances of quitting and avoiding relapse.
846515.shtml, Kenya RPCV Dr. Janet Bruno writes: How to Quit Smoking Once and for All
How to Quit Smoking Once and for All
GOLDEN VALLEY, MN -- 06/02/09 -- Have you ever tried to quit smoking once and for all, but failed again and again? Does someone in your home struggle with the addiction that leads to the #1 cause of death in the U.S.? Sadly, about 438,000..
Posted : Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:28:42 GMT
Author : myOptumHealth.com
Category : Press Release
News Alerts by Email ( click here )
Press Release News | Home
Caption: Cigarette. I kissed my first girl and smoked my first cigarette on the same day. I haven't had time for tobacco since. said Arturo Toscanini. I wish I could say the same, but as I am trying to quit smoking finally, this is a sort of "goodbye don't haunt me" picture Photo: lanier67 Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic
GOLDEN VALLEY, MN -- 06/02/09 -- Have you ever tried to quit smoking once and for all, but failed again and again? Does someone in your home struggle with the addiction that leads to the #1 cause of death in the U.S.?
Sadly, about 438,000 U.S. deaths are attributable each year to cigarette smoking, according to the health and wellness information Website www.myOptumHealth.com. In fact, about 150,000 to 300,000 children between the ages of 12 and 18 months are affected by secondhand smoke each year, of which about 300 of these children die from respiratory problems related to secondhand smoke, including asthma attacks.
"Every time you light up, even if it's just a few cigarettes a day," says Dr. Janet Bruno, medical director for OptumHealth Consumer Solutions, "you are not only endangering your own health, but also the health of those around you -- down to the youngest member of your family."
Given these sobering facts, learning how to quit smoking once and for all remains a top priority for many smokers -- it's just easier said than done. An estimated 70 percent of smokers want to quit, but only 1.2 million per year succeed in quitting smoking for good, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research has shown, though, that using some form of nicotine replacement or participating in formal quit smoking counseling can improve your chances of quitting and avoiding relapse.
"In general, you can double your chance of success to quit smoking with nicotine replacement therapy and roughly the same is true for behavioral treatment," says Saul Shiffman, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of the Smoking Research Group at the University of Pittsburgh.
Quit smoking programs range from quitting abruptly, chewing nicotine gum, using the patch, getting medication or getting counseling. No matter which method you choose on how to quit smoking, it still boils down to "smoker preference," Shiffman says. The more comfortable you are with the method you pick, the better the chances you will stick with it and quit smoking once and for all, he says.
Quit Smoking: Cold turkey vs. taper and fade
Most smokers try to quit smoking by going "cold turkey," traditionally defined as quitting abruptly, versus the gradual "taper and fade" system, which some smokers choose so they can ease themselves into quitting.
"The very prospect of giving up cigarettes all at once is so daunting. Some people need to take one step at a time," Shiffman says.
The danger of gradual reduction methods, Shiffman says, is that you need a time frame to quit smoking -- a quit date. "If you give yourself an infinite amount of time, then it will take that long," he says. "If people can set some goals, they can do it at their own pace. For some people that may be a week, two weeks, four weeks, eight weeks."
Quit Smoking: Nicotine patch vs. nicotine-free pill
Shiffman says there are now more pharmacologic options than ever before to help people quit smoking: the nicotine patch, gum, inhaler and nasal spray, and non-nicotine treatment (bupropion). The medications are meant for abrupt quitting, he says, although that doesn't preclude smokers from using them while gradually quitting.
What works best leads back to smoker preference. The CDC found that 48 percent of smokers preferred the nicotine patch; 28 percent used nicotine gum; and 21 percent used the non-nicotine treatment buproprion, which is actually an antidepressant marketed for smoking cessation as ZybanŽ. Less than three percent used a nicotine inhaler or spray.
Each of the nicotine substitutes treat the difficult withdrawal symptoms and cravings that 70 percent to 90 percent of smokers say is their only reason for not giving up cigarettes, according to the American Cancer Society.
Quit Smoking: Would a smoking cessation program help?
Quit smoking programs are designed to help smokers cope with problems that arise during quitting and to provide support and encouragement to prevent relapse. According to the U.S. Agency on Health Care Policy and Research, counseling programs should consist of four or more sessions, 20 to 30 minutes in length, delivered over at least two weeks but preferably for eight weeks.
Generally, "the longer the treatment plan, the better the chances of success," Shiffman says, adding that some smokers find combining nicotine replacement therapy and counseling is helpful.
Shiffman concludes with the caveat that much depends on a smoker's preference and the nature of the person's addictive habit. There are a number of variables that may affect the success of your attempt to quit smoking, Shiffman notes. "What are your chances to begin with? How hooked are you? How hard are you trying to quit? Does your spouse smoke? Do you drink? Are you depressed?" These can all be factors.
"Whatever method you choose, visit www.myOptumHealth.com keyword 'quit smoking' to learn more about how to set a quit date, quit once and for all on that day, and stick to it," says Dr. Bruno.
