DISCLAIMER: This material is for informational purposes only. Psychiatry is a complex neuroscience and this material is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this material. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding any psychiatric or other health condition. Copyright © 2013 Pandian, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Adroita | Center for Clinical Psychiatric Neuroscience | 120 E. Ogden Ave., Suite 106 | Hinsdale, IL 60521 | 630-560-6015 | www.adroitahealth.com Many long term smokers will agree that their tobacco use was a bad choice and that they wish it had an easier solution to quitting. Just like any other damage control strategy, there is no quick fix to it. The goal of the treatment is to help tobacco users have a less painful transition towards complete recovery. Quitting smoking is beneficial to health at any age, and cigarette smokers who quit before age 35 years have mortality rates similar to those who never smoked Quitting it is not an easy task, especially without proper intervention. Talk to an addiction expert about an appropriate treatment plan. Only about 4 to 7 percent of people are able to quit smoking on any given attempt without medication or other help. Even with help, quitting can be frustrating. Do keep in mind that these discomforts are only a short-term problem but the results from it bring long-term benefits. The goal of a successful treatment is NO cigarette at all lifelong. Even smoking a few cigarettes is dangerous and can be highly injurious to health. Therefore, never underestimate the toxic nature of tobacco. Overall, 68.8% of current smokers indicated that they wanted to stop smoking completely. Counseling and other types of emotional support can boost success rates higher than medication alone. Those who utilized the benefits of counseling and/or cessation medication were nearly 30 percent more successful in quitting than those who used no support. This is good news: currently, the number of former U.S. smokers has exceeded the number of current smokers. We know that even a brief exposure to tobacco products can be injurious to health, so stopping early is beneficial. Even people who have failed multiple attempts can increase their chances of staying abstinent by appropriate treatment intervention. The treatments recommended by most medical professionals include a combination of therapy and medication, as its effectiveness has been proven. Several medications have been FDA approved as safe and effective in treating tobacco dependence. They include Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), Bupropion (Zyban, Wellbutrin) and Varenicline (Chantix). • Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT): NRT provides nicotine without the other harmful chemicals in tobacco. This includes products like nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, nasal spray, and inhaler. They help to reduce craving and other discomforts from immediate quitting. Some people do try more than one product. However, it is highly recommended to talk to your consultant to determine which product to try and how to best use the product before starting on your own. These products have gone through rigorous clinical trials and have been approved as safe medical products. DO NOT mistake these with other advertised products like E-Cigarettes that are considered harmful. An overview of TREATMENTS TO HELP QUIT SMOKING DEFINITION: PREVALENCE: IMPORTANCE OF TREATMENT: TREATMENT AND DRUGS: