Are you having troubles quitting smoking? You're not alone! Overcoming an addiction to smoking is extremely difficult: some people who have conquered both heroin and smoking addictions say quitting smoking was more difficult than quitting heroin. Approximately 85% of all smokers want to stop but have been unsuccessful in their attempts. It is generally accepted that it takes an average of 4 to 5 attempts before a smoker can quit for life.

Understanding the Addiction

Smoking is extremely difficult to overcome largely because the addiction is three-fold, with:

Psychological Habit

• Smoking is used to deal with stress or emotional crises
• Smoking is a "hand-to-mouth" ritual repeated hundreds of times a day

Social Reinforcement

• Certain times of day or locations can reinforce the desire to smoke (for example, after a meal or in the car)
• Being around others who smoke may create the desire to smoke

Physical addiction

• Nicotine is a highly addictive drug with many of the same characteristics as other addictive substances such as narcotics and alcohol
• Once addicted to nicotine, quitting can result in withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating and severe cravings for nicotine

Tips for Quitting

Make Sure You're Motivated

If you are not motivated to quit, chances are you won't, so it's not worthwhile trying until you feel very motivated. Once you decide to quit, think about your motivations for quitting (e.g., your health, the health of those you live with, appearance, money) and make a list. Carry that list with you at all times as a reminder of why you made a decision to quit.

Set A Target Date

Choose a target date for stopping smoking entirely, and keep the following in mind when selecting a date:

• Don't drag it out! Make sure the date is no more than one month away.
• Avoid times associated with high stress.
• Pick a time when you are less likely to be exposed to your triggers of smoking (for instance, when you're on vacation and away from your usual routine).
• As the target date arrives, gradually reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke to 8 - 12 daily (if you are a heavy smoker). If you reduce to les than 8 per day, nicotine withdrawal may occur.

Ask For Help

Involving support groups, health professionals and friends can increase success rates by up to 20%! There is plenty of professional assistance available, so don't hesitate to contact your doctor, pharmacist, the Canadian Cancer Society, local health units and other organizations for materials. Also ask your family and friends for their support in your attempt to quit.

What About Medical Assistance?

There are a number of medical options - from prescriptions to over-the-counter stop smoking aids - available at your pharmacy. These items include:

• Bupropion, a prescription antidepressant tablet that has shown very positive results for assisting in smoking cessation. Bupropion seems to depress the area of the brain related to addiction, which allows smokers to deal with their social and habitual need to smoke.
• The Nicotine Patch - now available over-the-counter - has proven to be particularly effective when used with Bupropion. The patch is applied as a bandage which secretes small amounts of nicotine into the blood system, through the skin. The strength of nicotine is gradually reduced over the treatment period. The patch can be used from several weeks, to three or even six months.
• Nicotine gum has been available as an over-the-counter medication for some time now. It can be used for up to six months and is especially effective for dealing with specific moments of cigarette-craving many ex-smokers experience after they have quit.

Some Health Risks of Smoking

• smoking is the largest single cause of premature death
• smoking doubles risk of heart attack (in fact, smoking causes 30% of all fatal heart attacks)
• smoking triples risk of stroke
• smoking causes 30% of all cancer deaths
• smoking causes sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia and other breathing problems
• each cigarette shortens lifespan by 8 minutes
• second-hand smoke emits 5 times more carbon monoxide and 6 times more nicotine than the smoke you inhale
• non-smokers married to smokers have a 20 to 30 percent increased risk of death due to heart disease
• children of smokers have an increased risk of ear infection, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia and cancer, and also tend to have higher absentee rates from school

The Health Benefits Of Quitting Start Immediately

• within 20 minutes of quitting, blood pressure, heart rate and temperature of the hands and feet return to normal
• after 8 hours, carbon monoxide and oxygen levels in the blood return to normal
• after 1 year, the excess risk of heart disease in a smoker is reduced by half
• after 5 years, the risk of stroke returns to a level equal to those who have never smoked and risk of bladder cancer and mouth cancer are reduced by half
• after 10 years, the risk of lung cancer, is reduced by 30 to 50%
• after 15 years, the risk of heart disease and the risk of death are similar to a person who has never smoked

Don't Forget The Money!!!!

A person who smokes a pack a day will spend almost $2000 a year on cigarettes (that could be $100,000 in a life-time of smoking). Smokers pay substantially higher premiums for life insurance for themselves, and for fire insurance for their homes. Prescription drug expenditures are substantially higher for smokers, due to their high rate of breathing problems, heart disease, and cancer.

Compiled by Greg Andreen
Lakeside Pharmacy, Kelowna, B.C.
Edited by Megan Stiles
Last Reviewed: September 2001