Smoking Cessation Methods

Rebecca Fox: From patches to prescription tip noses to cold turkey, if you want to quit smoking you can choose from a variety of cessation methods and aids to help you ditch the pack. Selecting a method that is right for you is just one step in the process. Icyou’s Medical Editor, Dr. Mona Khanna joins us now to cut through the clutter. Dr. Mona, let’s start with that base line. Why is it important to quit smoking? Dr. Mona Khanna: Well Rebecca, aside from the obvious benefits like you won’t recoup smoke, you’ll stop those little lap line and those lip lines that come and you press your lips just smoke that intensifies as we age, you in a bad breath, you in at those yellow fingered nails and yellow teeth. Aside from those obvious advantages in stopping smoking, we have to remember that smoking is the number one cause of preventable disease, and most people think oh okay, well I might be putting myself at higher risk for developing lung cancer. No, no, no, it doesn’t end there. Smoking is the number one cause of preventable heart disease. As we know heart disease is a number one killer in America. So, anything that has to do almost anything that has to do with preventing disease, quitting smoking is the number one intervention that we recommend to our patient. Rebecca Fox: So, what is the best way to quit smoking? Dr. Mona Khanna: Well that’s a great question and we get that question all the time in our offices with our patients. What’s the best way, what’s the most effective way, how can I do it this is the last time and do it for sure and end it. Because a lot of people actually do want to quit smoking, but nicotine is a very, very powerful addiction and so you look at all the different methods and you have customize it to the person who is coming in your office. One of the ways to do it is say, okay with this method there is this percentage attrition rate people who drop on go back to smoking and this says that so and so percentage of success rate and so forth and so and so, really has to be customized to the person. What we do know though is that we have a way to take and try to quit smoking. Cold turkey is one way just draw all the cigarettes, get rid of them, stop smoking, make a resolution. Many people do that for The Great American Smokeout, it’s held every year in November and they say that’s the day that I’m going to throw everything out and turn over in weeks. That’s one way. Another way is Hypnosis, there is Acupuncture we have medications now, including medication. The patients can take to reduce the nicotine cravings. We have nicotine replacement either patches, gum, candies, I mean you name it; we can give patients that nicotine replacement, so that they get the little bit of how they got when they were smoking in getting that nicotine, but without the tars and the chemicals and that type of stuff that they adjusted to their lungs. Unfortunately, there is really no one most effective and most successful way, it depends on what the person is willing to do to sacrifice that they willing to make, perhaps what their budget is whether or not they can afford some of these nicotine replacements because they are expensive, and then we go from there. Rebecca Fox: So, how can I start, how can I cut through this clutter in start? Dr. Mona Khanna: That’s the magic word to start. The first thing we need to do is we need to set a quit day. We know the patient have to do that, you can’t just say okay, I’m going to quit one of these days. You have to set a quit day and that’s one of the reasons that we had The Great American Smokeout because it’s a great day for a lot of patients to quit smoking. The second is T and that stands for Tell. Tell you family, tell your friends, tell you co-workers, tell everybody that you are going to quit smoking because once you have that support group, that support group is going to be instrumental in helping you not only quit, but maintain you are not smoking that. A stands for anticipate. Anticipate and plan for the challenges ahead. Now, a lot of patients do relax, they do fall at the -- and why you don’t want to expect that, you do want to anticipate that if it happens don’t be just yourself up over it. You know just get right back on, figure out what that trigger was that gave you that set back and then plan for that in the future if that happens again. What recourse will you have better that start quitting smoking again? R stands for remove. Remove those cigarettes from anywhere, your house is the most obvious place, but don’t forget your pant pockets, you jacket pocket, your co-pocket and of course, the car because we know a lot of smokers keep you know a fair package of the cigarettes in their car. Last of course, is T. Talk to your doctor, talk to your doctor about what’s the best way for you to quit smoking. There is a variety of resources available to you, obviously online through The American Association through The American Cancer Society, but the most important thing is talk. Open up that dialogue, open up that discussion with people around you and you’ll find that you’ll have more support than you think you would have. Even from people who you smoke with when you go out in that daily 10 o’clock, break with and go out to smoke a few. They might say to you, you know hats off to you, I want to quit smoke too, but I just can’t do it. So, don’t think that the smokers won’t assist you in your charge to stop smoking, just remember that the most important way to maintain that social support and tell people you are going to do it and ask that to reinforce -- smoking status. Rebecca Fox: So, the resources are there that don’t give up? Dr. Mona Khanna: Absolutely. The resources are there don’t give up and tell, tell, tell everybody because like I said, you will find unexpected support in places that you thought you know would in fact reinforce your smoking status they’ll say, no I want to help you quit. Rebecca Fox: Dr. Mona, thank you so much for this practical advice. I appreciate it. And you can watch more videos about quitting smoking on icyou. For icyou on topic, I’m Rebecca Fox.