Smoking cessation is the process of discontinuing tobacco smoking. Tobacco smoke contains nicotine, which is addictive.
Nicotine withdrawal makes the process of quitting often very prolonged and difficult. Each cigarette contains over 4000 types of chemicals,
with at least 50 are cancer causing.
A smoker is at risk of many diseases:
- Lung cancer
- COPD
- Heart Disease
- Stroke
-
Cancers
- Mouth (5X the risk)
- Throat (5X the risk)
- Larynx (10X the risk)
- Pharynx (2-5X the risk)
- Oesophagus (2-5X the risk)
- Stomach (2X the risk)
- Pancreas (4X the risk)
- Kidney
- Bladder
-
Other diseases
- Cataracts (40% higher)
- Tooth decay
- Gum disease
-
Women diseases
- Cervical and breast cancer
- Painful and irregular menstruation
- Decreased egg count
- Early menopause
- Intrauterine growth in pregnancy
- Miscarriage (20% risk)
- Still birth
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Foetal and infant mortality rates 25-56% among smoker
-
Male problems
- Erectile dysfunction, impotence
- Infertility due to lower sperm count, abnormal sperm shape and motility, reduced volume of ejaculation
How smoking harms your loved ones:
-
Passive smokers are at increased of:
- Lung cancer (20-30%)
- Heart Disease (25-30%)
- Asthma (40-60%)
- Stroke (as high as 82%)
Children of smokers suffer from more:
- Respiratory infections
- Middle ear infections
- Asthma
- Chronic bronchitis
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Benefits of Quitting Smoking
- Health
- Physical
- Emotional
- Social
- Financial
Common Barriers to Quitting
- Misconception of smoking as a stress-relief tool, in fact nicotine withdrawal leads to stress and irritability
- Smoking as a companion: boredom and post meal habit
- Fear of withdrawal: nicotine replacement therapy can alleviate symptoms
- Lack of confidence and quit resources
- Peer pressure
- Fear of weight gain especially for females
How to Quit
-
Cold Turkey
- Picks a date and stop completely
- Highest success rate
- Recommended as the first try
-
Gradual reduction
- Reduce number of cigarettes smoked per day until stops completely, day 7 as recommended
-
Delaying
- Delay the time at which you start smoking until stop completely on day 7 as recommended
-
Nicotine replacement therapy
- When used in conjunction with quit therapy, NRT is 4 times more effective for long term quitting
- Each form should be used in decreasing amount until you can do without it
- Types: inhaler, patch, gum, lozenges
-
Bupropion hydrochloride
- It does not contain nicotine but effective in reducing withdrawal symptoms and urge to smoke.
- Start therapy while smoking as steady state blood level is reached at about a week.
- Continue for 7-12 weeks
- Dosing should begin at 150 mg/day for first 3 days followed by 300 mg/day
Additional tips
- Avoid smoker friends temporarily
- Avoid places associated with smoking such as pubs and bars
- Frequent places where smoking is banned
- Take up alternative activities to relieve stress
-
Break smoking out of habit by replacement method like brushing teeth after meal instead of a smoke,
low calorie snacks in the mouth instead of cigarette
Withdrawal symptoms
- Cravings
- Tiredness
- Lack of concentration
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Stomach upset
- More cough and cold
- Irritability
Looking for Smoking Cessation Therapy?
Visit our
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specialist
today.