Why is nicotine such
a powerful addictive drug?
How can I quit smoking?
What are the three methods for quitting?
What people in particular should consider
the risk factors in using tobacco?
If I'm using nicotine gum to help me
to stop smoking, should I stop?
What is tobacco harm reduction?
If I'm using the nicotine patch right
now to quit smoking and I have a history of heart problems,
should I stop?
I've been using the nicotine patch for
years now to help me stay off cigarettes, should I stop?
Why are the pharmaceutical product groups
with the new modified tobacco/cigarette products?
If I'm a smoker, would it be better
for me to switch to one of the new modified tobacco/cigarette
products?
When will we know if these products
are better than smoking regular cigarettes?
I'm a smoker. What's the best advice
you can give me?
What's the best potential reduced-exposure
product (PREP) for me to use right now?
Are low-tar and nicotine cigarettes
a better option than regular cigarettes?
If you have tried to quit smoking, you know how hard
it can be. That is because nicotine is a very addictive
drug. For some people, it can be as addictive as heroin
or cocaine. Within seconds of taking a puff of smoke,
nicotine travels to the brain. It tells the brain to
release chemicals that make you want to smoke more.
Quitting is hard. Usually people make 2 to 3 tries,
or more, before finally being able to quit. Studies
have shown that each time you try to quit, you will
be stronger and will have learned more about what help
and what hurts.
Anyone can quit smoking. It does not matter
about age, health, or lifestyle. The decision
to quit and your success is greatly influenced by how
much you want to stop smoking.
Half of all people who have ever smoked have quit.
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Help is all around you!!
Many types of health care providers can help you
quit- your family doctor, dentist or pediatrician;
nurses, psychologists, pharmacists, respiratory
and physical therapists; and others.
Programs are given by health care providers who
specialize in helping people to stop smoking. Your
regular health care provider can help you find a
program.
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Experts say three methods work. You have the best chances
of quitting if you use them together. Ask a health care
professional for additional information.
Use the Nicotine Patch or Nicotine Gum
The patch and gum help lessen the urge to smoke.
The nicotine in the patch and gum passes through
the skin. This reduces the craving for nicotine
when you stop smoking. It is important to follow
the directions carefully when using the patch or
gum. Ask your health care provider for advice.
While you may still get cravings to smoke, don't
smoke while using the patch or gum!
Get Support and Encouragement
Counseling can help you learn how to live life as
a nonsmoker. Brief counseling or advice from your
health care provider can help. Also, you may want
to join a quit smoking program. Studies of people
who have quit show the more counseling you have,
the greater your chance for success. Here is what
to look for in a quit smoking program:
Session length: at least 20-30 minutes long
Number of sessions: at least 4-7 sessions
Number of weeks: at least 2 weeks
Don't be afraid to talk about how you feel- fears
of not being able to quit or problems with family
or friends. Your family, friends, or health care provider
can offer encouragement and support. Self-help materials
and hotlines are also available.
If you get the urge for a cigarette, call someone
to help talk you out of it- preferably an ex-smoker.
Learn How to Handle Urges to Smoke and Stress
Be aware of things that may cause you to want to
smoke. For example:
Being around other smokers
Being under time pressure
Getting into an argument
Feeling sad or frustrated
Drinking alcohol
Avoid difficult situations while you are trying to
quit. Try to lower your stress levels. Take time to
do things you enjoy. Exercise, such as walking, jogging,
or bicycling can also help. Use the space below to
write down events, feelings, or activities that make
you want a cigarette. You may want to talk about them
with your health care provider or support group, or
with a friend.
The key to handling an urge is to distract your self
from thoughts of smoking:
Talk to someone
Get busy with a task
Read a book
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Pregnant women/ new mothers: Smoking puts
your baby at risk for sudden infant death syndrome
(SIDS), poor lung development, asthma, and infections.
Hospitalized patients: Smoking slows recovery
from illness and surgery. It slows bone and wound
healing. Most hospitals do not allow smoking.
Heart attack patients: Second heart attacks
are more common in people who continue to smoke.
Lung, head, and neck cancer patients: Smoking
can cause a second cancer, even after successful
treatment.
Children and adolescents: Young people
who smoke become addicted faster than adults. Those
who live with smokers are at special risk of health
problems from breathing others' smoke.
Source: Institute of Medicine
National Academy of Sciences
Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention,
http://www.iom.edu/
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In tobacco harm reduction, different products and other
methods are used by those people who use tobacco, and
are so addicted that they cannot quit, to reduce their
level of tobacco use. This is different from smoking
cessation (quitting), because there is continued
exposure to the harmful substances in tobacco and
a continued risk of acquiring the diseases related to
tobacco use but potentially less than that of the previous
level of tobacco use. Taking into account the continuation
of this harmful behavior and other factors, successful
harm reduction results in overall improved health for
the population compared to the original amount of tobacco
use. Tobacco cessation, however, is the only proven
way to reduce tobacco-related diseases, and there are
many effective methods to accomplish this including
behavioral treatments and pharmaceutical products.
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No. The nicotine gum, patch, inhaler, and nasal spray
and bupropion SR (Zyban) have been extensively tested
and approved by the Food and Drug Administration for
smoking cessation. They have been proven to be safe
and effective when used short term, usually 3-6 months,
for this purpose. You can find a description of the
possible side effects in the package insert. If you
have heart disease or are pregnant you should speak
to your doctor before taking any of these products.
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This decision should be made with your doctor and depends
on the type of product that you are using and the nature
and severity of your heart disease
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A limited number of studies suggest that long-term
use of nicotine replacements may be effective in keeping
people from smoking and is probably less toxic than
a relapse to smoking. However, more long-term studies
are needed to conclusively state that the use of these
products over a long period of time for smoking reduction
or cessation is less harmful. Again, you should see
your doctor if you have any ongoing health problems
or are pregnant or if you are experiencing side effects.
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When we discuss the nicotine products (gum, inhaler,
patch, nasal spray) and Zyban and tobacco harm reduction,
we're talking about the possibility of using these products
for a long period of time (possibly a lifetime) to help
abstain from smoking or cut down the number cigarettes
smoked each day. This use for the products is not currently
approved by the FDA and there haven't been enough studies
to prove that this would be better for a smoker's health
or, in fact, that this wouldn't be more harmful.
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The best advice for any smoker is to quit smoking.
This has been proven to decrease the risk over time
for most of the diseases caused by cigarettes, some
down to the level of people who have never smoked at
all. There is currently no proof that any of the modified
tobacco products now available would be "safer"
than regular cigarettes.
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Since it takes a long time for many of the diseases
caused by smoking like cancer or emphysema to occur,
proof that these products will reduce the risk for these
diseases will take along time. In the report, the committee
presents different ways that this evidence might be
found sooner and most effectively.
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The best advice for all smokers now is to stop smoking
and not to start smoking again.
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The committee did not examine specific brands or products
because the design and technology of these products
will change over time. Though the committee believes
it's possible in the future, no PREP is available right
now that can be proven to reduce the risk of disease.
The committee did lay out a framework for needed research,
regulation, and surveillance that would allow consumers
to make educated choices for themselves.
The definition of low-yield or low-tar and nicotine
cigarettes are based on measurements by the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) machine method (the smoking
machine). However, many studies over the years have
shown that there is no real health benefit and may cause
more harm when you take into account the way people,
as opposed to machines, actually smoke these products.
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Source:National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug
Information (NCADI), http://www.health.org/
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