Adverse Effects of Smoking on Women Home Page

After reading the evidence presented here I hope that you have made the decision to quit smoking. This proves to be a difficult task for most and to assist you, there are many products out there. Much of the information presented here was gleaned from http://www.4woman.gov/QuitSmoking/index.cfm . I encourage all to visit this site to check for updated information.

The first hurdle for female smokers is to overcome the barriers associated with smoking such as nicotine dependence; fear of weight gain; not being able to cope with stressful situations without cigarettes; and continued exposure to tobacco promotion by advertising and by family and friends who smoke³⁶. Many women need to try to quit up to three times before they finally succeed. Women who quit smoking relapse for different reasons than men, including stress, weight control, and negative emotions³⁶. The benefits of quitting smoking are clear. There are both immediate and long-term physical benefits that improve the quality of women’s lives and of those around them. Besides having cleaner teeth and breath, there also comes an improved sense of taste and smell, fewer wrinkles, better physical endurance, and most importantly, less risk of serious illness and disease for themselves and for those around them³⁶.

Once a woman makes the decision to quit there is no correct way to stop smoking but according to The American Society, there are 4 things that need to be followed to successfully quit:

Before a woman quits, she should tell her family and friends and throw all her cigarettes away. It is also important to find something else to fill the gap of time that is normally filled with smoking such as reading, meditation, or enjoying gum or a hard candy.

Please visit the Freedom From Smoking® Online sponsored by The American Lung Association at http://www.lungusa.org/ffs/ to sign up for a free online program to assist you in quitting. I browsed through this site and it has a TON of tips and help. Even though you sign up with a username, this program is completely free, and allows for the personalization of a program. What are you waiting for? Click now! Good luck!

Step #1: Preparing to Quit

Description & Examples

Pros & Cons

Comments

Group Programs
American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking® group program offers seven sessions to help you set and follow your Quit Smoking Action Plan.

Also offered by many hospitals, medical facilities and by voluntary agencies.

Pros
Supportive, encouraging environment
Opportunity for building skills needed to quit smoking
Cons:
Meeting schedule may not be flexible enough for some
A group may not be available when you need it

Comments/limitations: Best for those who work well with others. The groups focus on helping you change your smoking behaviors.

May also be helpful for those whose family or friends are unlikely to provide support. Usually meets for four to seven sessions with each session lasting one to two hours.

Individual Counseling From Healthcare Provider
Many healthcare providers offer indi- vidual quit-smoking programs that help you develop a Quit Smoking Action Plan. They should also provide encourage- ment for staying smoke-free and plans for coping with relapse.

Pros:
Flexible
Personalized to your needs
Opportunity for building skills needed to quit smoking
Cons:
No opportunity for peer support sharing
Usually requires an appointment

Comments/limitations: This may be best if you have a good relationship with your healthcare provider. Best for people who prefer to work independently rather than in group settings. The more counseling sessions you attend, the better your chances of staying smoke-free.

Books, Manuals, Audiotapes, Videotapes, and Internet Resources
ALA’s 7 Steps to a Smoke-Free Life is one of many excellent sources available.

These should be educational, informative and discuss the key parts of a Quit Smoking Action Plan. May be a starting point for additional help.

Pros:
Convenient
Private
May be especially appropriate for those who like to work on their own or enjoy "do-it-yourself" projects
Cons:
Success depends on continued use
Many are superficial and do not provide needed key elements

Comments/limitations: Although you may prefer to quit on your own, quitting without preparing an action plan is unlikely to be successful.

The American Lung Association provides a variety of materials and programs, including special programs for pregnant women, African-American smokers and other populations.

Telephone Counseling
Many health providers and worksites offer telephone counseling to provide assistance in developing and following through with your Quit Smoking Action Plan. (Additionally, telephone counseling to provide encouragement for staying smoke-free is described later in this guide.)

Many states have smokers’ help lines. For more information, call:

American Lung Association
1-(800) LUNG-USA

Pros:
Convenient
Flexible
Personal and private
Useful in rural areas or anywhere access to counseling services is limited
Cons:
Phone counselor may change from contact to contact
Lack of fixed schedule may be discouraging to some

Comments/limitations: Telephone counseling services are also sometimes used to help you stay smoke-free. Ask your healthcare provider or check your phone book for availability of these services in your are

Step #2: Using Medications

Description & Examples

Pros & Cons

Comments

Nicotine Patch
NicoDerm® CQ
Nicotrol®
Nicotine Transdermal Patch
(prescription required)
Habitrol® (prescription required)
ProStep® (prescription required)

Patches deliver nicotine through the skin in different strengths, over different lengths of time.

Pros:
Easy to use
Only needs to be applied once a day
Some available without a prescription
Few side effects

Cons:
Less flexible dosing
Slow onset of delivery
Mild skin rashes and irritation

Comments/limitations: Patches vary in strengths and the length of time over which nicotine is delivered. Depending on the brand you use, may be left on for anywhere from 16 to 24 hours. Some smokers who use these products can stop them abruptly, while others prefer to reduce their dosage slowly.

Nicotine Polacrilex (nicotine gum)

Nicorette®

The term "gum" is misleading. Although it actually is a gum-like substance impregnated with small amounts of nicotine, nicotine gum is not chewed like regular gum. Instead, you chew it briefly and then "park" it between your cheek and gum. The nicotine is absorbed through the lining of the mouth.

Pros:
Convenient
Flexible dosing
Faster delivery of nicotine than the patches

Cons:
May be inappropriate for people with dental problems and those with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome
Cannot eat or drink while the medication is in your mouth
Frequent use during the day required to obtain adequate nicotine levels

Comments/limitations: Many people use this medication incorrectly. Most of the time the gum is in your mouth, it should be "parked" between your cheek and gum. Read package directions carefully for a full explanation.

To achieve greatest benefit, you generally should chew nine or more pieces per day.

Nicotine Nasal Spray

Nicotrol® NS (prescription required)

Delivers nicotine through the lining of the nose when you squirt it directly into each nostril.

Pros:
Flexible dosing
Can be used in response to stress or urges to smoke
Fastest delivery of nicotine of currently available products
Reduces cravings within minutes

Cons:
Nose and eye irritation is common, but usually disappears within one week.
Frequent use during the day required to obtain adequate nicotine levels

Comments/limitations: Unlike nasal sprays used to relieve allergy symptoms, the nicotine spray is not meant to be sniffed. Rather, it is sprayed once into each nostril once or twice an hour. Take a deep breath, hold it, spray once into each nostril and exhale through the mouth.

Ask your pharmacist for help in using the product correctly.

Nicotine Inhaler

Nicotrol® Inhaler (prescription required)

A plastic cylinder containing a cartridge that delivers nicotine when you puff on it. Although similar in appearance to a cigarette, the inhaler delivers nicotine into the mouth, not the lung, and enters the body much more slowly than the nicotine in cigarettes.

Pros:
Flexible dosing
Mimics the hand-to-mouth behavior of smoking
Few side effects
Faster delivery of nicotine than the patches

Cons:
Frequent use during the day required to obtain adequate nicotine levels
May cause mouth or throat irritation

Comments/limitations: Puffing must be done frequently, far more often than your cigarette. Each cartridge lasts for 80 long puffs; each cartridge is designed for 20 minutes of use. A minimum of six cartridges per day is needed for three to six weeks, then the patient starts tapering off. You do not need to inhale deeply to achieve an effect. Small doses of nicotine provide a sensation in the back of the throat similar to cigarette smoke.

Non-nicotine medication

Zyban™ (bupropion hydrochloride)

Sustained-Release Tablets (prescription required)

Currently the only non-nicotine medication shown to be effective for quitting smoking. Treatment must be started at least one week before your target quit date.

Pros:
Easy to use
Pill form
Few side effects
Can be used in combination with nicotine patches

Cons:
Should not be used by patients with eating disorders, seizure disorders or those taking certain other medications
Lack of flexibility of use

Comments/limitations: This is the first medication to help quit smoking that is available in tablet form. Its primary role is to act on brain chemistry to bring about some of the same effects that nicotine has when people smoke. A small risk of seizure is associated with use of this medication. The main ingredient in Zyban has been available for many years as a treatment for depression under the trade name Wellbutrin. However, it works well in people with no depression as an aid to quit smoking.

Step#3: Staying Smoke-Free

Description & Examples

Pros & Cons

Preventing Relapse
The group program, individual counseling from a healthcare provider, telephone counseling or self-help materials you choose should include information on how to prevent a relapse and what to do if a relapse occurs.

Refer to Step #1: Preparing to Quit

Encouragement from Family and Friends

Pros:
Convenient/available
Understand you well and can anticipate your needs
Reinforce your desire to quit when you feel tempted to smoke again

Cons:
May become overly critical if your quit attempt fails
If they try to quit for you instead of for themselves, they may relapse and undermine your efforts

Worksite & Community
Many worksites and communities offer quit-smoking programs. These often include group programs such as those offered by the American Lung Association or support programs such as Nicotine Anonymous. Smoke-free worksite and community promotional campaigns may also include "buddy systems" and other activities to help people stay smoke-free.

Pros:
Helpful to have encouragement in the places—your job or community—where you spend most of your time
Helpful—and healthful—to work in smoke-free workplace

Cons:
Programs may not be available or may be hard to find in your area
Worksite may not be smoke-free or may not encourage nonsmoking

Telephone Encouragement or "Health Lines"
In addition to telephone counseling for developing a Quit Smoking Action Plan, many employers, HMOs, communities, and makers of nicotine and non-nicotine medications offer ongoing telephone counseling to encourage staying smoke-free.

Pros:
Convenient
Private
Provide support when family and friends do not or cannot

Cons:
May not be available in your health plan, company, or community

Once a woman makes the decision to quit there is no correct way to stop smoking but according to The American Society, there are 4 things that need to be followed to successfully quit: