Tobacco Topics : Adult Cessation

"Anyone who uses tobacco and is committed to quitting needs to know that tobacco dependence is a chronic disease that, like high blood pressure or diabetes, frequently requires treatment over time to get it controlled." 1
- Michael C. Fiore, M.D., MPH

Facts

• 70% of the smokers in the United States today have tried to quit at least once. Most smokers make several quit attempts before they successfully quit the habit. 1

• Research has shown that stopping smoking results in improvements in health status at any age, including people aged 65 and over. People live substantially longer when they stop smoking, regardless of the age at which they quit. 2

• Only half of smokers who see a doctor have ever been urged to quit, even though smoking is the single greatest preventable cause of illness and premature death in the United States. 1

• Tobacco users are dependent on nicotine in a way that is comparable to dependence on heroin, speed, and cocaine. 1

• Tobacco use becomes a part of many daily activities and rituals. This contributes to the difficulty of breaking the addiction. 3

• The health benefits of smoking cessation are immediate and substantial. Almost immediately, a person’s circulation begins to improve and the carbon monoxide level in the blood begins to decline. 2

• Current recommended smoking cessation treatments include nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) in the form of gum, inhaler, nasal spray, and patch, as well as the pharmacotherapy, Buproprion. 3

• Counseling is an effective treatment for tobacco dependence. Counseling can be provided in a number of different venues, including face-to-face (individual or in a group), on the internet, or via telephone. When combined with pharmacological treatment, the effectiveness of cessation counseling doubles or triples.

Sources:
1 PHS, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence. Fact Sheet, June 2000.
2 NCI (2003). Cancer facts: Questions and answers about smoking cessation. [On-line[. Available: http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/8_13.htm
3 Fisher et al, (1993). Multiple Determinants of tobacco use and cessation: a meta analysis. Journal of the American Medical Association, 271.

Benefits of Quitting

• Dramatically reduced risk of heart attack, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and thousands of other health problems
• Fresher breath
• Cleaner teeth
• Fresh-smelling clothes, homes and cars
• Renewed senses of taste and smell
• Freedom from smoker’s cough
• Freedom from shortness of breath
• Money saved from not buying cigarettes

Cessation Programs

If you are interested in getting a copy of the second wind curriculum, contact WTPP