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- $Unique_ID{BRK00889}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Is There Something Available to Help "Hard Core" Smokers Quit?}
- $Subject{quit smoking stopping tips Community Social behavior behaviors smoke
- smoker smokers withdrawal signs restlessness concentrate concentrating sleep
- disturbances hostility nicotine craving gum Nicorette}
- $Volume{Q-23}
- $Log{
- The Effects of Smoking*0007301.scf
- Indirect Problems Caused by Smoking*0007302.scf}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
-
-
- Is There Something Available to Help "Hard Core" Smokers Quit?
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-
- QUESTION: I have tried repeatedly to stop smoking, using every gimmick and
- technique available. I desperately want to quit because I believe it kills
- people. (How I wish I had never started!) I can not believe there is not
- something available to help "hard core" smokers overcome that incredible
- craving?
-
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-
- ANSWER: Actually you are already well on your way. Successful treatment can
- occur when the individual understands that there is a real risk from
- continuing to smoke, there is a value to stopping and that it IS possible to
- quit. While the initial action of quitting is hard enough to take, it is
- harder still to maintain that abstinence over the long haul necessary to rid
- your self of the habit. There are many deep seated reasons for smoking,
- social, psychological and pharmacological, all of which must be addressed in
- your hopes of quitting are to be successful. That means that you need more
- than just a magic pill to quit, and require the ongoing advice and help from
- your family physician or counselor. You will learn of skills that can help
- you deal with stress, resist the many stimuli in your environment that prompt
- smoking, and overcome some of the withdrawal signs and symptoms that do occur.
- They include restlessness, inability to concentrate, sleep disturbances,
- feelings of hostility and nicotine craving, that seems to be your chief
- problem. In addition to behavioral techniques, many people profit from the
- use of nicotine gum (Nicorette) in their comprehensive smoke cessation
- program. Each piece of gum contains 2 mg of nicotine, and from 8 to 10 pieces
- should be used each day. Heavy smokers who have signs of physical dependence
- are excellent candidates for this type of treatment, and it may be the answer
- you are seeking. You can obtain much more information by writing to the
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Smoking Education Program, National
- Institutes of Health, Bldg. 31, Room 4A-18, Dept. A-1, Bethesda, MD 20892.
- Your efforts will have tremendous health benefits for you, if you strive for
- and achieve your goal.
-
- ----------------
-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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