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Guidelines for Smoking Cessation:
Desire to stop smoking must be genuine. Quiting smoking is the most difficult thing most people experience.
A short term struggle to gain a long term benefit.
- Set a quit date some time in the not too distant future-
- Special date such as a holiday, birth day or anniversary.
- Begin to quit as soon as resolve is made.
- Start by limiting your cigarettes.
- Smoke only at designated times or designated places.
- Pick no smoking zones, car, home etc.
- When you do smoke do nothing else- don’t watch tv, drive etc.
- When you get the urge try to delay having the cigarette for at least 10-20 minutes. The urge may pass.
- When the quit date comes stop altogether.
Aids to quit smoking
Nicotine patch- supplies your body with the nicotine
- Benefit- no smoke inhalation, no harmful tars etc.
- Drawback- you have to withdraw from the patch at some time.
Nicotine gum
- Benefit - Use only when urge comes
- Drawback- you have to withdraw from the gum , you may lose your fillings.
Nicotine inhaler
- Benefit Use only when urge comes, you do not lose your fillings
- Drawback- You have to withdraw from the inhaler.
Zyban (Wellbutrin)- antidepressant which suppress the urge to smoke and the anxiety associated with withdrawal.
- Benefit- Minimal withdrawal symptoms- no nicotine involved
- Drawback- cost- Insurance will not pay for this medication
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Ralph Giarnella MD
360 North Main Street
Southington CT 06489
Telephone: 860-628-2852
FAX: 860-621-8637
Email: GiarnellaMD@aol.com
Website:
Don't Let Another Year Go Up In Smoke
Are you one of most smokers who want to quit? Then try following this advice.
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1. Don’t smoke any number or any kind of cigarette. Smoking even a few cigarettes a day can hurt your health. If you try to smoke fewer cigarettes, but do not stop completely, soon you’ll be smoking the same amount again.
Smoking "low-tar, low-nicotine" cigarettes usually does little good, either. Because nicotine is so addictive, if you switch to lower-nicotine brands you’ll likely just puff harder, longer, and more often on each cigarette. The only safe choice is to quit completely.
2. Write down why you want to quit. Do you want
- * to feel in control of you life?
- * to have better health?
- * to set a good example for your children?
- * to protect your family from breathing other people’s smoke?
Really wanting to quit smoking is very important to how much success you will have in quitting. Smokers who live after a heart attack are the most likely to quit for good—they're very motivated. Find a reason for quitting before you have no choice.
3. Know that it will take effort to quit smoking. Nicotine is habit forming. Half of the battle in quitting is knowing you need to quit. This knowledge will help you be more able to deal with the symptoms of withdrawal that can occur, such as bad moods and really wanting to smoke. There are many ways smokers quit, including using nicotine replacement products (gum and patches), but there is no easy way. Nearly all smokers have some feelings of nicotine withdrawal when they try to quit. Give yourself a month to get over these feelings. Take quitting one day at a time, even one minute at a time—whatever you need to succeed.
4. Half of all adult smokers have quit, so you can— too. That’s the good news.There are millions of people alive today who have learned to face life without a cigarette. For staying healthy, quitting smoking is the best step you can take.
5. Get help if you need it. Many groups offer written materials, programs, and advice to help smokers quit for good. Your doctor or dentist is also a good source of help and support. Click to view National Groups or Other Web sites with information and resources on how to quit.
6. Pick a specific date to quit. It is easy to say I will quit smoking one of these some day. However some day never comes because each day is today.
- Pick specific date :Birthday, Holiday, Anniversary date-the first day of next month
- Write the date down and circle it on a calendar.
- Tell others of your intentions-
7.Begin to quit smoking
- Limit the places where you can smoke- no smoking in the bed roome, smoke only in the kitchen or better yet do not smoke in the house.
- Don't smoke while doing something else- stop everything you are doing and don't start until the cigarette is finished. Don't smoke while driving, watching TV.
- Avoid associated cigarette smoking with certain activities- do you drink coffee and smoke- don't! Do you smoke while talking on the phone? Don't!. Do you get in the car turn on the ignition andlight up a cigarete? Don't!. These are trigger points- if you disassociate smoking with these activities it wll be easier to quit smoking.
8. On the quit date throw away your cigarettes and tell everyone you know that you have quit. It will be very embarassing if you begin to smoke again.
9. If you should have fail and restart smoking quit again.
10. Once you have quit- Never, ever pick up another cigarette- Not even one! even if you have not smoked in 5 years- never ever pick up another cigarette- 1 cigarette will to a pack in no time at all.
