- Smoking is one of the worst habits to start, and one of the toughest to quit. Smoking leads to lung cancer and other serious health problems. The best way to prevent this damage is to never start smoking, but the second-best way is to quit.
The Great American Smokeout is a chance for smokers of all ages to “pack” up their cigarettes and quit smoking. On Thursday November 16, 2006 the American Cancer Society encourages our Nation’s 50 million smokers to say, “No thanks” to cigarettes for just one day.
In the past, nearly one-third of all smokers have joined in. They swap stories about how hard it is to live without cigarettes, share advice about quitting, and support one another throughout the day.
Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer in this country and secondhand smoke contributes to more than 50,000 deaths. Over 46 million adults in the U.S. are smokers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The positive health benefits from quitting are almost immediate. Breathing difficulties should reduce in a very short time, your risk for heart attack will drop markedly, your mouth will be fresher and food will taste better.
There is no denying that it’s hard to quit smoking. Nicotine, present in all tobacco products, is a powerful, highly addictive drug, not unlike heroin or cocaine. Because of its addictiveness, many smokers will try unsuccessfully to stop smoking many times before finally quitting for good. But as hard as it is to quit, making that commitment is an important first step.
The Saint Barnabas Health Care System’s Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program can help you stop smoking once and for all.
Debra Tarnoff, L.C.S.W., L.C.A.D.C., associate director for the Saint Barnabas Behavioral Health Network Institute for Prevention said, “Many smokers say they don’t try to quit because of the shame and guilt when they relapse. They’ve tried many times with unsuccessful results. If they don’t quit right away, they view that as a failure. Our program teaches smokers that each time they make an attempt they are closer to quitting for good. Research indicates the average smoker makes five to seven quit attempts before quitting for good.”
Offered through the Saint Barnabas Behavioral Health Network’s Institute for Prevention and funded by the New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services Division of Epidemiology, the Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program includes three main areas of service: assessment; behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy.
Since the Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program’s inception in 2000, more than 1,000 people have gone through the program to successfully quit smoking. This program is the only state-funded Quit Center in Ocean and Monmouth Counties.
Before beginning the program, participants are assessed for their stage of “change readiness,” or their willingness to quit smoking, Tarnoff explained. A comprehensive Nicotine Dependence Evaluation is also conducted.
Individual, group and family therapy is available to encourage and support participants to remain committed to being tobacco-free.
Participants are also given access to a variety of pharmacotherapy aides related to Nicotine Replacement Therapy, which may include a skin patch or chewing gum; as well prescriptions for inhalers, nasal sprays or medication such as Bupropion - all proven to assist with nicotine addiction.
“Our program encourages smokers to utilize nicotine replacement therapy to make their quit attempt more comfortable. Why suffer through nicotine withdrawal when you can use a product that helps to decrease that withdrawal and allow the smoker to focus on the psychological aspects of quitting,” Tarnoff explains.
The cost of the program is $15 per session. The program will also offer participants nicotine replacement therapies at a discounted rate.
Tarnoff concludes, “Smokers are more than four times more successful when they use nicotine replacement products. Our medical director educates clients on the proper use of the products, which will help to increase the likelihood of quitting.”
For more information or to schedule an appointment with the Saint Barnabas Health Care System’s Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program, call (732) 914-1688 ext. 73955 and receive a free assessment for a limited time.
The Saint Barnabas Behavioral Health Network’s Institute for Prevention’s mission is to reduce factors that place individuals, families and communities at risk and to promote healthy, drug free lifestyles. A leader in the development and delivery of specialized prevention programming, the Institute promotes wellness through a wide variety of individualized programs designed to meet the needs of all segments of society.
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