Quitting

Quitting

Addiction to the nicotine in tobacco is a medically treatable condition, as is any addiction. Successful cessation involves many variables. The age of initiation, how much one smokes, and even genetic or developmental factors influence how easily an individual can overcome tobacco. Traditionally the approach to quitting takes on two facets: the physical dependency and the psychological habit. There are pharmacological aids that have various degrees of success depending on the individual. However, one constant is that medication alone, without counseling or social support, is next to worthless.

The best advice for anyone wanting to quit tobacco or to help someone quit is to speak to a medical professional. He or she can best evaluate an individual's nicotine dependency and prescribe medications or resources that responsibly suit a person's addiction. How fast is life passing?

There is various debate about the best way to quit. Recent research has shown that most people who successfully quit do so with little or no preparation. However, most cessation efforts are evaluated in a 'willingness to change' continuum. At one extreme, the person who has no interest in quitting is said to be "pre-contemplative". Persons considering quitting are "contemplative" and follow up the scale to "action", actively quitting, on up to "maintaining cessation". The important point in all of this is the necessity of an individual's personal commitment to becoming and staying tobacco free.

Quitting is a combination of decreasing the body's nicotine dependence through either medication or gradually decreasing use, setting a 'quit date' and staying quit. It is important to realize that nicotine addiction is a tremendous burden to overcome especially in a society coerced into tolerance by a cartel focused only on profit. Illegal drug addiction, even alcohol, requires special effort to obtain a person's drug of choice. Tobacco, however, is readily available either from numerous retail opportunities or from another smoker unwittingly harming cessation efforts by sharing tobacco.

Paramount in a person's cessation effort is to find means that suit the individual's lifestyle and schedule. Arkansas has an excellent resource in the UAMS College of Public Health Quitline, (1-866-NOW QUIT).This service is free to all Arkansas residents and puts quitters in contact with trained cessation interventionists who work with the individual to establish the most efficient means of overcoming a nicotine addiction. Unfortunately, research reveals that it may take a half a dozen attempts at quitting before successfully staying tobacco free. There is no silver bullet. An individual must step up and take responsibility for overcoming nicotine. If you truly want to be tobacco free there are no excuses.

Please follow the links to resources available locally and call the Quitline. You owe it to yourself and your family enjoy a lifetime together without tobacco.