Every year more than 40% of smokers around the world plan to quit their smoking habit but not all of them end up with a positive result, and even some of them manages to cease this habit again get addicted to it after some time. So to resolve this issue effective stop smoking programs to help smokers quit smoking is conducted which enables to give positive output with their planned measures.
Smoking is injurious for health and it is the root cause of several chronic and life-threatening diseases such as cancer, lungs problem, cardiovascular health issues etc. In spite of knowing all these facts, smokers find the utmost difficulty when they take a step to quit smoking forever.
The reason behind the failures of smokers during their smoking cessation journey is lack of support from people around them, lack of proper motivation and unplanned and ineffective measures application during this period to accomplish their target.
Still, it is not as impossible as it is sound because you can get a well-managed support from the stop smoking support programs which are run by health departments, hospitals, national health organizations, employers and community centers. You get here to support and counseling in one by one method or by group counseling or through telephonic support as per your request and your particular case.
These programs have successfully brought a drastic reduction in the number of smokers worldwide and that is the reason for its popularity and reliability. They take several approaches and in each approach, they try to reduce your fear factor and resolve your problems that you are facing in the path of quitting the smoking habit.
As per your personal case and condition, they will recommend and conduct the sessions. It is better to get several sessions as this can help you faster to recover from your fear and difficulties in your path. They will offer medication, therapies and other treatment programs either one or a combination of all of them as per your condition.
Also, they provide ongoing support that helps to stay stick with your smoking free life journey plan or target.
Step by Step Measures to Quit Smoking
When you come in the contact of a stop smoking program conducted by any organization, health provider, employers, the National or International organization of Healthcare centers etc. they will first do your individual case analysis.
Depending upon your stage of smoking addiction, your general habits, work environment, friends and family group they will prepare a prudent step by step smoking quitting plan which commonly includes the following measures in general.
Motivating the Smokers
The stop smoking programs create awareness among the smokers regarding the health hazards that are likely to develop due to their long time and intense smoking habit. The reason behind these awareness programs is to motivate individuals and group of smokers together for quitting this injurious habit as soon as it is possible.
Different counseling programs are conducted in this regard which helps in relieving the difficulties and individuals issues that arise in the journey of withdrawal. These counseling programs are done either one to one counseling or it might be given in the form of group counseling depending upon the particular person’s situation and severity of difficulties which occurs while trying to quit smoking forever.
Sometimes the counseling session is limited to2 to 3 sitting however as more the counseling days chances of early quitting and recovery exists to a large extent. These sessions may run till several months until you completely get recovered from your post quitting time difficulties.
Also, another post quitting support is provided under some programs that promise to provide lifetime support and counseling so that even after few years if you again crave for smoking then they wash your brain by proper counseling process.
Creating Awareness Regarding Health Defects
Smoking habit is one of the primary reason behind the growth and development of several life-threatening health issues such as lungs, brain and throat cancer, cardiovascular troubles that lead to early death of the person if smoking is not quitted on time.
The stop smoking programs arrange seminars and sessions either of individual smoker or the group of smokers together to make them aware about the percentage rate of the growth of these health concerns in them due to the intense smoking habit.
The awareness program is divided into two primary steps. Under the first step awareness is created for leaving the smoking forever and in the second step help is provided to the smokers in their quitting journey to ease their difficulties.
This is a long-term journey which does not provide any fixed time when they can manage to quit the smoking completely. It totally depends upon the individual wish whether they themselves are willing to quit or doing this under the pressure of spouse and family members.
Clinical support is provided to the smokers in the initial stage by making them aware of health hazards that other people are going through and in the later stage, help is provided to relieve their problems during post and in between the quitting periods which aims at to reduce their nicotine craving and desire.
Counseling
Counseling is the first most vital step or method that is applied by the stop smoking programs running centers and health care providers. The counseling can be telephonic, via the internet and direct one to one or in group process in which experts gives their valuable advice and motivates the smokers for quitting the smoking.
As per the International Health Care Department, the quitting rate per year is considered approx. more than 40% per in a year in all groups of people together. Quitting score is segregated under the following heads.
- Out of all adult smokers, 5 out of 10 in a year.
- Out of all high school students, 4 out of 10 in a year.
- Smokers aging between 18 to 24, the quitting rate is approx. 7 out of 10 people.
- Smokers aging between 25 to 44, the quitting rate is approx. 6 out of 10 people.
- Smokers aging between 45 to 64, the quitting rate is 4 out of 10 people.
- Smokers aging 65 and above have quitting rate is 4 out of 10 people.
Therapy And Medications
Most of the smokers fail in their endeavor to quit smoking because they are not following the right trick and ways to leave this health hazard habit. However, when they come in the contact of stop smoking programs they find more precise and accurate platform where they get step by step support that makes their way easy and they become able to quit smoking at the faster possible time.
There are total eight types of medications or popular Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT)which helps in easing your difficulties when you reduce your nicotine doses. Also, it relives from post nicotine quitting physical and mental health concerns with its result oriented counter medications.
Inhaler, patch, nicotine gum, lozenge, and the nasal spray come under the category of smoking cessation therapies and Clonidine, Nortriptyline and Bupropion come under the category of smoking counter medications. All of them together relive you from post quitting difficulties like depression, anxiety, nicotine craving, insomnia, lack of concentration, restlessness, irritation etc.
All NRTs contains a very small amount of nicotine which is absorbed by your body in a very long time so doesn’t affect your health. The primary work of these small nicotine does is to handle your occasional craving for smoke which often occurs in the withdrawal process of smoking.
The nicotine patch comes in doses of 7 mg, 14 mg and 21 mg (24-hour patch), 15 mg (16-hour patch). The benefits of usage of this therapy are that you need to take only one dose in a whole day, apart from this it is known for its social acceptance and reliability factor. However, this is not meant for the immediate cravings. Skin rashes and insomnia are some common side effects.
Nicotine gums come in the doses of 2 mg and 4mg, out of which 2mg is applicable for smokers who are addicted for <25 cigarettes in a day and 4mg is applicable for smokers who are addicted for >25 cigarettes in a day. The side effects of nicotine gums include stomach ache, jaw ache, and nausea.
Nicotine nasal spray comes in a single dose which has heavy nicotine value with a comparison to other NRTs. Still, this value is lesser than the one-tenth value of nicotine found in a cigarette. Some common side effects associated with the use of this spray includes sneezing, coughing, irritation, rhinitis, facial flushing, lacrimation etc.
Nicotine lozenge comes in the category of OTC medication. This medication is recommended to the early morning smokers. A 2 mg dose of it is recommended for those who smoke just after 30 minutes of their waking time and 4 mg dose is recommended for those who have a habit to smoke within 30 minutes from their waking time. Its side effects are very much similar to the nicotine gum side effects.
Nicotine inhaler provides nicotine via mouth just like the gums but not through lungs which is harmful. It comes as a one-time dose and only on the recommendation by the healthcare provider. As it pretends a situation similar to the smoking period so smokers resemble it very easily and feel less difficulty in quitting. It requires several puffs for obtaining the nicotine which is not good; also it can cause the irritation in the throat.
Bupropion is one of the popular medications which is recommended for smokers who are trying to quit smoking. It helps to relieve depression issue which occurs in the journey of withdrawal. Combining with NRTs it speeds up the rate of recovery and time of quitting by increasing the effectiveness of nicotine therapies. As it is a non-nicotine medication so often it is preferred by the smokers. Its side effects include nausea, mouth dryness, insomnia etc.
The other two medications of anti-smoking programs are Nortriptyline and Clonidine which are equally effective as Bupropion and other NRTs. However, the side effects out of the use of these two medications are more than the other medications and therapies. Nortriptyline causes dry mouth, urinary retention, nausea, sedation, and constipation. Clonidine causes drowsiness and hypertension.
Psychological Treatment Method
Psychological treatment is given to combat the issue that the smoker faces through the smoking withdrawal journey. It tries to cope up the smoker’s refusal thoughts, resistance etc. This treatment method speeds up the withdrawal rate at a high speed and in higher quantity.
In this treatment method, behavioral and supportive therapies are used either singly or together depending upon the person to person. The behavioral therapy will create skill within you so that you can handle your difficulties arising in the smoking cessation journey by own.
Under the supportive therapy social support or encouragement is given to the individual for quitting their smoking habit. People who have successfully quit their smoking are invited to give support and suggestion to those who are finding issues while trying to quit smoking. Social support brings an effective amount of increase in the quitting rate.
Both the behavioral and supportive therapies are considered more effective than the individual or group counseling process. However, in both of these therapies, a telephonic process is capable to provide better impact than the written materials. The therapy is also given through the internet medium.
Health Benefits Associated with Quitting
Cigarette contains several chemicals that are intensively bad for your health and it causes many severe, as well as life-threatening diseases, bad health conditions, resulting in early death risk, exists with each puff of smoking.
Remember quitting has no age so even if you are a middle-aged person or have crossed your 60s, still you have a chance to leave this injurious habit for living your life more healthy way and for a longer living. However early stage leaving means better lifestyle and prevention of early death risk for a long time. Generally stopping smoking has below-mentioned health benefits and impacts.
- Lower risk of stroke, peripheral vascular and cardiovascular diseases.
- Reduced risk of lung, throat and other cancers which develops due to smoking.
- For pregnant women quitting smoking helps in the birth of a healthy weight and healthy baby. Also, it reduces the risk of infertility especially in women who are in their childbearing age.
- Quitting smoke ensures healthy respiratory systems and prevents concerns like severe coughing, breathing shortness, wheezing etc.
- Prevents the risk of developing lungs related diseases.
- Reduces the risk of early death and ensures your longevity.
A successful smoking withdrawal needs several attempts and a combination of all the methods used by stop smoking programs. So smokers should not be disheartened and lose their hope even though after a few attempts they are not getting any positive result.
The stop smoking programs to help smokers quit smoking are based on specialist healthcare provider’s experience that they have seen in individuals and in a group of people who tried to quit, and also of people who have by their own self-managed to quit smoking successfully.
[expand title=”View Article Sources“]
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1494968/
- https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/cessation/quitting/index.htm
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