Hello everyone.
The subject of smoking cigarettes is near and dear to my heart. Smoking is now called “Tobacco Use Disorder”, and it is very addictive. Quitting smoking is hard but it can be done. Your provider has many tools in their toolbox to help.
Our friends at the CDC have lots of resources. The American Lung Association has programs to help you get started and stay the course. The State of Nevada also has options to offer. Let’s talk about quitting!
The American Lung association has much to say about stopping smoking:
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the U.S., making it critically important that prevention and cessation programs are available to help people break their tobacco addiction for good. The American Lung Association supports funding for federal, state, and local programs that help tobacco users quit and prevent kids and adults from starting to use tobacco.
We also support policies that give smokers easy access to all treatments proven effective to help them quit. Medicaid expansion and most private health insurance plans are required to cover a comprehensive tobacco cessation benefit for plan members, including all seven medications and three types of counseling recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service. To help smokers quit, the Lung Association encourages all health plans to cover a comprehensive, barrier-free cessation benefit.
The Lung Association is a leader in the area of tobacco cessation policy at the federal, state, and local levels. Since 2007, our Tobacco Cessation Policy Project has provided up-to-date information and tools for advocates, policymakers, media, and smokers.
To start your journey to being smoke-free, go to https://www.lung.org/
The Centers for Disease Control, CDC, also wants to help you to stop smoking:
Trying to quit smoking feels different for each person, but almost everyone will have some symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. When you stop, your body and brain have to get used to not having nicotine. This can be uncomfortable, but nicotine withdrawal can’t hurt you – unless you give in and have a cigarette!
Over time, withdrawal symptoms will fade as long as you stay smokefree.
1. Having urges or cravings to smoke
Almost everyone who smokes regularly has cravings or urges to smoke when they quit. They may be mild or can sometimes feel overwhelming. Figuring out how to deal with cravings is one of the most important things you can do to stay successful.
Ways to manage: There are LOTS of things you can do to make urges and cravings less of a problem. Quit-smoking medicines can help a lot, and so can other quitting tips. Cravings can be triggered by things that make you think about smoking—like people you smoked with, a place you often smoked, or things you used to do while smoking like having a cup of coffee. Even a thought or a feeling can trigger a craving. But other thoughts can help you get through a craving, like remembering why you are quitting. Remember that you never have to give in to a craving, and that it will always pass.
2. Feeling irritated, grouchy, or upset
It is very common to feel irritated or grouchy when you quit. Even many people who have never smoked know this is part of quitting. Knowing this is normal can be helpful.
Ways to manage: Remind yourself that you likely feel this way because your body is getting used to being without nicotine. Take a few deep breaths and remind yourself why you’re quitting.
Feeling jumpy or restless during the first days or weeks after quitting is normal. Just like your mind gets irritated without nicotine at first, the rest of your body can, too.
Ways to manage: Doing some physical activity can help shake loose your jumpiness. Get up and walk around for a bit if you feel restless. Try cutting back on coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks. When you quit smoking, caffeine lasts longer in your body.
4. Having a hard time concentrating
You may notice that it is harder to concentrate in the first days after you quit—this is very common.
Ways to manage: Try to cut yourself some slack, especially in the first days after you quit. Try to limit activities that require strong concentration if you can.
5. Having trouble sleeping
It’s common to have some trouble sleeping when you first quit smoking. This will get better, but if it is bothering you, talk with your healthcare provider to get help. If you become exhausted from poor sleep, this can make it harder to stay quit.
Ways to manage:
6. Feeling hungrier or gaining weight
It’s normal for your appetite to increase some when you quit. And your body may not burn calories quite as fast. You may also eat more because of the stress of quitting or to have something to do with your hands and mouth. Food may even be more enjoyable because your senses of smell and taste are not being dulled by all that smoke!
Ways to manage: While some people may gain weight after they quit, it’s important for your health to quit sooner than later. Below are a few simple things you can do to help control weight gain after quitting. The bonus is that these things will help you build healthy behaviors for a lifetime of being smokefree!
If you are worried about gaining weight, a quit coach can help you with other quitting tips, or you can talk with your healthcare provider for help.
7. Feeling anxious, sad, or depressed
People who smoke are more likely to have anxiety or depression than people who don’t smoke. Some people feel mood changes for a short time after they quit smoking. Watch for this, especially if you’ve ever had anxiety or depression.
For some people, smoking may seem like it helps with anxiety or depression, but don’t be tricked. Smoking might make you feel better in the short-term, but that’s because the nicotine in cigarettes stops the discomfort of withdrawal, not because it is helping with anxiety or depression. There are much better ways to deal with withdrawal symptoms and mood changes than returning to smoking! The good news is that once people have been smoke-free for a few months, their anxiety and depression levels are often lower than when they were smoking.
Ways to manage:
What if feelings of depression get worse, or don’t get better? You should get help. Talk to your healthcare provider, call the quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW), or seek appropriate emergency help.
The State of Nevada also has resources to help:
Free services and medications available to help Nevada smokers quit
Nevada Tobacco Quitline 1-800-QUIT-NOW
Carson City July 29, 2020
Smokers, other tobacco users, including those who use e-cigarettes and vaping devices can get free phone tobacco cessation counseling and resources to help them quit.
Resources include medications made available by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. Medications include gum and/or patches, lozenges, inhalers, and/or nasal sprays; supplies depend on availability and eligibility.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Tips From Former Smokers national tobacco education campaign is encouraging smokers to call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) for help getting medications and counseling at no cost. Callers must enroll in the Nevada Tobacco Quitline to work with a trained coach and be medically eligible to receive free medication.
People who smoke cigarettes can and do quit. In fact, today there are more former smokers than current smokers in the United States. According to the CDC (2018), about 68%of adult cigarette smokers want to quit and research shows quitting completely at any age has health benefits.
Stopping smoking:
• Lowers your risk of developing lung, throat, bladder, and cervical cancers.
• Reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Reduces the risk of developing complications in people with diabetes.
• Reduces respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
• Reduces risk of developing lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Reduces risk of infertility in women of childbearing age. Women who stop smoking during pregnancy also reduce their risk of having a low birth weight baby.
• Lowers health risks associated with secondhand smoke.
Quitline counseling and medication, including gum, patches, lozenges, inhalers, and/or nasal sprays are all effective tools in helping smokers quit. Using them together is more effective than using any other method alone. Medications help smokers quit by decreasing the urge to smoke and other withdrawal symptoms while quitting.
Data shows approximately one out of every six of Nevada adults smoke. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. Smoking kills 480,000 Americans each year and is responsible for diseases affecting another 16 million.
Additional information on quitting tobacco is available at https://nevada.quitlogix.org or cdc.gov/tips.
Everyone who smokes has a reason to quit:
Whatever the reason, use that to take control of your smoking. As you can see, there are resources to keep you motivated and on track. Help yourself have a wonderful future free of tobacco. Call your provider today to make an appointment to talk about quitting. Go to lung.org and take their help. Go to the Nevada site https://nevada.quitlogix.org and get some answers. This could be the best thing you do for yourself!!
