Quitting Smoking

Most smokers want to quit and over half of them try to quit each year.

But many fail, largely because they try to quit by themselves.

Many smokers need help to quit. This page provides information on the most common strategies and some new approaches, as well as links to other resouces

The major methods, that are clinically effective for quitting are:

"Cold Turkey"

Many smokers quit without aids, but stopping to smoke. Some set a specific quit date and some gradually cut down and then stop. While this approach works for some, others are very strongly addicted and fail to quit or quickly start smoking again. However, when aided by counceling this method can be effective and is inexpensive.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Nicotine replacement therapy is one important method for quitting. The nicotine normally provided by the cigarette or tobacco is provided in a patch, gum, or other method.

The smoker gives up the tobacco first and later the nicotine.

Most patches and gums are available without prescription and can be obtained free in some states and cities. Some companies provide quitting aids for their employees and some health plans cover nicotine replacement therapy.

Prescription Drugs

Several companies are producing prescription drugs aiding smokers in quitting.
The drug Zyban, originally developed to treat anxiety is effective in helping smokers quit.

A new drug, Chantix, acts by stimulating nicotine receptors in the brain, removing the craving, and is taken once per day.

Consult our doctor to see if one of these drugs is right for you.

Counceling

Most smokers benefit from counseling to stop smoking. All quitting strategies are more effective if the smoker gets help.
The counseling can be given by a doctor or other health provider, through a class at a local health department or a commercial provider.

Quitlines are one form of counseling and there are also online services and IM programs.

Quitlines are toll free numbers smokers can call to get help quitting.

One central number 1-800-QUIT-NOW works in all 50 states, all US territories. Most of Canada is also covered by Quitlines.

Quitlines have been demonstrated to be effective in helping smokers quit. The operators are trained and the service is confidential, fits to the smokers schedule and can supplement any quitting strategy

Combination therapy

Some therapies can be comined. Zyban tends to improve success rates with nearly all other therapies.

Other Things to try to help you Quit

Each smokers addiction is different, so some methods work great for some people than others. Here are some things to try, if the above methods have failed.

The EasyWay

One book worth reading is The EasyWay to Quit SmokingI by Allen Carr. This book describes a cold turkey method for quitting. Mr. Carr describes how there are no advantages to smkoing and many advantages to quitting. He destoys all the myths that smoking reduces stress, or keeps you thin. The book has sold over 20 millions of copies in 20 languages. Let us know if it works for you!

Low Nicotine Cigarettes

In the 1970s tobacco companies experimented with low nicotine cigarettes. Customers hated them and either went back to their regular smoke or quit. Now the Liggett Company makes a series of low nicotine and nicotine free cigarettes. They are not approved by the FDA as a quitting aid, but it might work for you.

QuitKey

The QuitKey is a small hand held device the smoker uses to record every cigarette smoked. The computer then plans a gradual quitting program, instructing the smoker to reduce smoking in a scintifically based program, relapses are figured into the program. The product was developed with funding from the National Cancer Institute and was quite effective for some smokers.

Relaxation/Massage therapy

Smoking does not reduce stress, but quitting can be stressful. Learning to reduce stress is good for us all, and massage therapy, stress reduction techniques such as meditation and yoga can be helpful either alone, or in combination with any of the above approaches.

The Future

One of the most exciting drugs under development is a nicotine vaccine. The vaccine causes the body to make antibodies against nicotine. The smoker gradually fails to get any nocotine from cigarettes, allowing them to quit.