Tobacco cessation - Interior Health Authority

Take Charge – Butt Out!
Patient Information
www.interiorhealth.ca
Stopping Smoking – Hard,
Yes. Impossible, No!
Why quit smoking?
The benefits of stopping smoking
start almost immediately. Tobacco
use is well known for its many
harmful effects on your health.
There is no safe level of tobacco
use or exposure to second hand
smoke. In addition to health
benefits, you can save thousands of
dollars if you quit (over $3,000.00/
year if you smoke a pack a day).
Did you know?
● Smokers are more likely to have
delays in wound healing and
have an increased risk of wound
infections.
● Diabetics who smoke are 3
times more likely to die of heart
disease than are non-smoking
diabetics.
● Diabetics who smoke have an
increased risk of nerve damage
in all parts of their body.
● Smokers are 2 -4 times more
likely than non-smokers to
develop heart disease.
● Smoking and breathing in second
hand smoke is one of the main
contributing factors for both
heart attacks and strokes.
responsible for 90% of all lung
cancer deaths!
● The best predictor of whether
or not a baby will grow up to be
a smoker is whether or not his
or her parent(s) smoke.
Benefits of Quitting
Smoking
● Within 20 minutes: your blood
pressure, heart rate, body
temperature in your hands and
feet return to normal.
● Within 8 hours: the amount of
oxygen in your blood improves.
● Within 24 hours: your sense of
smell and taste improves.
● Within 3 days: your lung
capacity improves, your airways
relax and if they are not
damaged, breathing is easier.
Help is here for you!
QuitNow Click or Call
is here for you:
Click online at www.Quitnow.ca
Quitnow.ca is a quit smoking
program. Increase your odds
of success by joining an online
community that is there for you
around the clock. Expert advice,
individual counselling and peer
support available free to residents
of BC anytime and anyplace.
Call the helpline Quitnow by
phone 1-877-455-2233
Quitnow by Phone is a confidential,
free helpline. It is available around
the clock and is staffed by specially
trained counsellors who are there
to listen and provide support and
guidance.
● 2 weeks to 3 months: your
circulation improves and walking
is easier. Your lungs begin to
work better.
● At 1 year: your risk of heart
disease is reduced by half.
● At 5 - 15 years: your risk for
heart disease, stroke and cancer
continuously lowers.
(RNAO Nursing Best Practice Guideline,
October 2003)
Stop Smoking Tips:
● Make a plan that works for you;
remember the most important
person to quit for is you! Use
QuitNow Click or Call.
more information on other side 
● Lung cancer is today’s largest
cancer killer – and smoking is
Healthlink BC
Dial 8-1-1
Talk to a Nurse 24 hours/day, 7 days/week
Pharmacist available between 5 p.m. - 9 a.m. daily
Dietitian between 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Monday to Friday
www.healthlinkbc.ca
828912 Mar 01-10
Patient Information
www.interiorhealth.ca
Take Charge – Butt Out!
● Decide how you want to quit.
Do you want to:
■ Quit cold turkey.
■ Cut back a cigarette a day
until you are no longer
smoking.
■ Postpone your first cigarette
until ½ hr later each day until
you’re no longer smoking.
● Decide if you want to use
nicotine replacement – the patch,
gum, or inhaler. Using nicotine
replacement increases your
chance of success dramatically.
Talk with your pharmacist or
doctor.
● Decide if you would like to
use Champix (Varenicline) or
Zyban (Bupropion). Champix is
a drug which is showing some
very promising results. Champix
and Zyban are prescription
drugs but have no nicotine and
have helped many people quit.
Zyban and Champix can be used
in combination with nicotine
replacement if required. If you’re
interested, talk to your doctor
about whether Champix or
Zyban is suitable for you.
● Decide how you are going to
reward yourself for no longer
smoking. Cigarettes cost a lot
of money – about $3000 a year
for a pack-a-day. Do something
special for yourself!
● Decide who will be most
supportive of you. Most people
struggle with quitting. Having
friends/family who support
you is likely to be key to your
success.
● Many tobacco users have tried
to quit before. Past experiences
are real learning opportunities.
Think about what worked and
what didn’t. What did you learn
about you and your tobacco
addiction?
● Remember that the first few
days are often the most difficult
so be good to yourself! It may
help to say, “I choose not to
smoke” rather than “I quit
smoking”.
● If you have a Nic-Fit – try the 4
D’s - Delay, Deep Breathe, Drink
Water, Do Something Else. NicFits won’t last forever – You can
get through it!
● Make a list of all the reasons
you would like to quit smoking.
What are your reasons – health,
money, your families’ health, the
smell, or something else? Keep
your list handy or in a place
where you can see it every day.
● Think about what your concerns
are about stopping smoking.
Are you concerned about failing,
being grumpy, weight gain, or
other reasons? List them, then
list possible solutions to help
you work through these. You
can do it!
● Think about what triggers you
to want to smoke. A cup of
coffee, being around smokers,
feeling stressed, being on the
phone, having a drink of alcohol?
Develop your plan for those
situations. Many people find
that for the first while, it works
best if they try to avoid their
particular triggers.
● If you’re not yet ready to quit,
think, “What would it take to
make me ready to think about
quitting?”
● “Never give up!” It may take
more than one attempt for you
to successfully quit smoking – but
NEVER give up – it’s the single
most important thing that you’ll
ever do to improve your health.
(References: BC Health Guide, Mosby’s Nursing
Consult, BC Lung Association, and Registered
Nurses Association of Ontario)