Tobacco Treatment Support

Understanding Nicotine Addiction

• Nicotine is the third most addictive substance, with addictive properties similar to morphine and cocaine.
• The addition of ammonia in cigarettes decreases the time from inhale to "high" to just six seconds. 
   
• Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S.
  • 480,000 people die each year, accounting for one in every five deaths
  • Second-hand smoke exposure causes 42,000 deaths each year
  • Smoking causes 29% of all cancer deaths 
     
• Quitting can be difficult because of the combination of biological, psychological and social factors associated with nicotine addiction:
  • Biological factors: physical addiction, withdrawal symptoms, reward
  • Psychological factors: habits, triggers, stress management, coping with emotions
  • Social factors: connection, fitting in, family/partners, cultural norms 
     
• Both smoking and smokeless tobacco use carry many health risks, including:
  • Blood clots and weakness in the walls of blood vessels in the brain, which can lead to stroke
  • Blood clots in the legs, which may travel to the lungs
  • Coronary artery disease, including angina and heart attacks
  • Temporarily increased blood pressure after smoking
  • Poor blood supply to the legs
  • Problems with erections because of decreased blood flow into the penis
  • Cancer (more likely in the lung, mouth, larynx, nose and sinuses, throat, esophagus, stomach, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, colon, and rectum)
  • Poor wound healing after surgery
  • Lung problems, such as COPD or asthma that is harder to control
  • Problems during pregnancy, such as babies born at a low birth weight, early labor, miscarriage and cleft lip

What You Need to Know About Vaping

Vaping has gained increasingly popularity, allowing for continued smoking in public.

• Vaping involves the inhalation of an aerosol, not a vapor – it is like inhaling hairspray.
• E-cigarettes are marketed to young people using attractive flavors.
• Vaping cause inflammation in the lungs and paralyzes cilia in the lungs that help keep airways clear of dirt and mucus.
• Vaping can cause e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury (EVALI).
• Vaping is NOT an appropriate method of smoking cessation and is NOT a "healthy" alternative to smoking.

Why You Should Quit

Health benefits of quitting begin almost immediately an increase over time:

• 20 minutes: Your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
• 12 hours: Carbon monoxide levels in the blood drop to normal.
• 2 weeks to 3 months: Circulation improves. Your lung function increases.
• 1 to 9 months: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease. Cilia start to regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
• 1 year: Your risk of having coronary artery disease is half that of a continuing tobacco user.
• 5 years: Stroke risk can fall to that of a non-tobacco user 2 to 5 years after quitting.
• 10 years: Your risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a continuing tobacco user. The risk of cancer of the larynx and pancreas decreases.
• 15 years: Your risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-tobacco user.

Quitting: How to Get Started

Trinity Health Michigan recommends combination therapy, following national guidelines and working with your primary care physician to establish an effective plan.

Tips to Quit

• Make a plan of action with your health care provider to quit any form of tobacco: cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigs or spit tobacco.
• Stick to your “quit date”.
• List reasons to quit and keep them with you.
• Get support from family and friends.
• Your health care provider can help you consider options like Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and/or prescriptions to decrease cravings. Evidence shows medications can approximately double your chance of quitting.
• Seek support: groups, telephone counseling programs, or online support sites.
• It may take more than one attempt to quit.
• It’s NEVER TOO LATE to quit.