Quitting smoking is one of the most important health and
life decisions a person can make. More than one-third of
cancer deaths and countless cases of heart disease,
breathing disorders and stroke, as well as low birth weight
in babies, are the result of smoking. Quitting smoking
reduces the risk of cancers, breathing disorders, heart
disease and stroke for smokers and those who breathe the air
around them.
Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals, including
60 that are known to cause cancer (carcinogens). The
chemical nicotine, which is present in tobacco, is
responsible for the physical addiction of smoking.
The July 24/31, 2002, issue of JAMA includes an
article about the use of a medication called bupropion in
smoking cessation.
Quitting Smoking
Quitting smoking is hard, but thousands of people are
able to kick the habit by using a number of strategies.
- Inform your doctor that you want to quit and ask for
help to achieve this goal.
- Join a smoking cessation group to get group support in
your quit effort.
- Stick to your decision to quit. If you feel irritable,
light-headed, have trouble sleeping, and feel cravings
for tobacco, remember that these feelings will pass.
- Get extra sleep, drink six to eight glasses of water a
day, and try to exercise regularly.
- Ask your family and friends to help you maintain your
decision to quit.
Medications To Help You Quit
The nicotine in tobacco causes physical addiction, but nicotine
replacement therapy can make kicking the habit easier.
Nicotine replacement is available in several forms.
- Nicotine gum can be used as needed (10 to 15
pieces a day) when the smoker feels a craving for
nicotine.
- Nicotine nasal spray is a liquid that can be
sprayed into the nose to provide nicotine.
- Nicotine inhaler devices look like cigarettes
but deliver a controlled dose of nicotine without the
other harmful chemicals.
- Nicotine patches are worn throughout the day to
release nicotine at a steady rate through the skin.
Bupropion (Zyban) is a prescription medication
that does not contain nicotine and is not a replacement
therapy. Instead, it affects certain chemicals in the brain
to decrease symptoms associated with nicotine addiction,
such as cravings and other withdrawal symptoms.
For More Information
American Cancer Society
(800) 227-2345
www.cancer.org
American Lung Association
(800) 586-4872
www.lungusa.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Office on Smoking and Health
(800) 232-1311
www.cdc.gov/tobacco
Sources: American Cancer Society, American Lung
Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health Lise
M. Stevens, M.A., Writer
Cassio Lynm, M.A., Illustrator
Richard M. Glass, M.D., Editor
(JAMA. 2002; 288: 532)
Published in JAMA: July 24/31, 2002
