Seventy percent of people who use tobacco/vape WANT to quit.
With the new year upon us, now is a great time to evaluate your health and challenge yourself to develop new habits to improve your well-being. Nicotine addiction is one of the most difficult challenges to overcome. But it is not impossible. If you are addicted to nicotine, I am sure you have heard “You HAVE to quit.” But have you heard, “Let me help and show you HOW to quit?” Seventy percent of people who use tobacco/vape WANT to quit. They just don’t know how.
Start with Reduction. Every cigarette, chew, or puff from a vape that you don’t use will improve your health. Just 20 minutes after you quit your heart rate drops to a normal level. Research literature suggests that the average person makes eight to eleven quit attempts before becoming completely abstinent. Quitting is a process, and it is different for every individual.
Harm reduction can also mean cost savings. One woman I work with smoked one pack a day. She’s been a non-smoker for six months now. In six months, she has already saved $900. What could you do with $900? Challenge yourself to calculate what you would save in one month if you quit tobacco/vape. You will be amazed.
Why is it so difficult to quit/reduce? Nicotine is about brain chemistry. Smoking, vaping, and chewing make you feel good because it releases the “feel good hormone” called dopamine. Dopamine helps us feel pleasure as it is part of the brain’s reward system (dopamine is also released when you eat your favorite foods, have sex, and exercise). There are other ways to release dopamine, but the feeling may not be as intense. Think slow, long-lasting vs instant gratification.
Vaping is not a safe alternative and there is NO safe vape. Many people think that switching to e-cigarettes/vaping will help them quit. This is NOT true. Marketing has made us believe there is a safe vape, this is also untrue. Vape/E-cigarettes contain and emit toxic substances and contain nicotine, a tobacco derivative. The majority of those who vape nicotine regularly will become addicted. According to the American Lung Association, 20% (5 million) of all youth use e-cigarettes, a 135% increase in two years.
Ideas for change:
- Know your WHY. Understand your triggers. Are you smoking out of habit? Are you triggered by stress? Boredom? Do you feel a nicotine craving (fatigue and yawning can be a sign of low nicotine, not just tiredness)? Some other cravings can feel like anxiety and depression.
- Have a plan to quit/reduce. What does “prepare to take action” look like to you?
- Prepare for challenges and triggers. Stressful situation, having drinks with friends, family get togethers, time alone/boredom.
- Reframe the way you think of cigarettes/chew/vape. It is not your friend. Something that harms you is not a friend. It is not a reward. It is stealing from you.
- Practice, practice, practice! Start small and just practice not smoking/vaping/chewing. Wait 20 minutes when you feel like you want one. Practice not using in your car, house, etc. This will empower and motivate you to keep going. Every attempt is a step towards success.
You CAN do this, and we are here to help!
For more information on Saint Alphonsus Tobacco Free Living program and resources, call 208-367-7373 or email SAHSTobaccofreeliving@saintalphonsus.org.
Jacquelyn Wing is a RRT and CTTS (Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist) at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.