Quit Smoking Pack a resource for practitioners
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Quit Smoking Pack
a resource for practitioners
This pack is based on information from a variety of sources including: WebMD
Medical Reference from Healthwise, www.quitnow.info.au and http://whyquit.com
The information in this pack is designed to help you quit smoking and should be used in
consultation with your physician. This information may be used either as a pack or as
individual handouts.Ask to speak with a Psychologist
The Albion Centre Psychology Unit
Why quit smoking?
When you quit smoking you will improve your health and reduce your risk of disease.
Smoking is the largest single preventable cause of death and disease in Australia. There are around 50
tobacco caused deaths each day, 350 each week, about 18,000 each year.
When you quit smoking—no matter how old you are—you will decrease your risk for:
• Heart attack and stroke. Smoking only 1 - 4 cigarettes a day increases your risk for coronary artery
disease. If you smoke and you have a heart attack, your risk of sudden death is 2 times the risk of a non-
smoker.
o You cut your risk of heart attack by 50% during the first year that you quit smoking.
o Within 5 years after quitting, your risk is almost gone.
o If you already have coronary artery disease, you can reduce your risk of a second heart attack
and possibly sudden death by quitting smoking.
• Lung cancer and other lung diseases.
• Other cancers. After you quit, your risk of developing cancers e.g. cancer of the mouth, bladder, kidney
and pancreas gradually declines.
• Stomach Ulcers.
• Impotence and fertility problems.
• Gum disease and other dental problems. As a smoker you are twice as likely to lose teeth as a non-
smoker.
• Early death.
Other health changes include:
• Your shortness of breath and asthma symptoms will likely get better within the first 2 to 4 weeks after
you quit.
• As your lungs try to clear your cough and phlegm may worsen in the first 2 weeks, and will gradually
decline over 4 to 8 weeks.
SOURCE: WebMD Medical Reference from HealthwiseHow to Manage Smoking Triggers
Smoking triggers are common activities that many people find trigger the urge to smoke. Here are some
common triggers and suggestions for how to manage them:
• Finishing a meal. Get up from the table immediately and do something you enjoy. Try a walk or start
a new hobby.
• Drinking coffee. Change the way you have coffee: the place, the coffee mug, everything that you did
when smoking. Wait until you are at work to have your morning coffee.
• Talking on the telephone. At home use a phone in a different room. At work, have small objects
nearby to occupy your hands while you are on the phone.
• Between tasks. Instead of smoking a cigarette before moving on to your next project, try taking a
short walk or reading a section of the newspaper or a chapter of a novel you're enjoying.
• After an argument. If you are feeling angry after an argument, let out the steam by walking briskly
around the building.
• In the car. Remove the ashtray, or fill it with potpourri or tiny strips of paper on which you've
written the reasons you don't want to smoke anymore. Play your favourite music on the stereo and
sing along while you drive instead of smoking.
• At home. Throw away all ashtrays and lighters. Clean your clothes and your house, including
curtains, upholstery, and walls to remove the smell of smoke. Don't let people smoke in your home.
Work activities and social events may trigger the urge to smoke. Here are some suggestions for avoiding
these triggers:
• Other people who smoke: Avoid the smoking areas at your workplace. Use another entrance or
change the time you arrive at work to avoid the smokers.
• Work breaks: Avoid places where smokers go during breaks. Spend your breaks with the non-
smokers.
• Parties: Don't follow smokers outside when they go for a cigarette. If people are smoking indoors, or
if it's an outdoor party, stay as far away as possible from them.
• Alcohol: You may choose to give up or cut down on drinking alcohol when you first quit smoking.
Changing what and where you drink may help.
SOURCE: WebMD Medical Reference from HealthwiseTemptations and Cravings for Cigarettes
The best way to cope with a strong temptation to smoke is to leave the situation that is causing the
temptation. Don't worry about what others may think if you leave a function to avoid the temptation to
smoke. You have an important reason for leaving.
When you cannot leave a difficult situation, or when the temptation to smoke is triggered by something
other than a place or event, consider what you can do, think about, or tell yourself that will help you cope
with the temptation. Use some activity to distract yourself for about 15 minutes.
• If drinking alcohol tempts you to smoke, choose a non-alcoholic drink.
• Call a friend to get support.
• Get moving. Go for a walk or jog!
• Practice relaxation techniques. See the topic ‘Stress Management’ for some relaxation techniques.
• Occupy your hands. Try clicking your fingers, knitting, reading, or working a puzzle.
• Take a hot bath or shower.
When you are tempted or have the strong urge to smoke:
• Think about the benefits of not smoking, such as health, pride and cleanliness.
• Think about the negative effects of smoking, such as harm to your family, yellow teeth, shortness of
breath and increased risk of disease.
• Imagine the immediate harmful effects of smoking. Picture the smoke going into your lungs and
leaving the ash and tar in your lungs. Picture the harmful chemicals entering your bloodstream.
• Remind yourself how hard it was to quit in the first place.
• Tell yourself that you really do not want to smoke.
• Tell yourself that you only need to keep from smoking one day at a time.
• Imagine yourself celebrating your first full year without smoking.
Remind yourself your craving will pass in minutes.Stress Management
The stress relief you get from smoking comes from the act of taking time out to smoke a cigarette and from
the chemical actions of nicotine in your brain. Once you return to the stressful event after you finish your
cigarette, the tension quickly comes back and you need another cigarette.
Smoking does not remove stress and tension from your life. You can learn how to manage stress. The
following suggestions may prove helpful:
• Identify the causes of stress in your life.
• Think about the stressful events and situations from another perspective. How would your most
calm, rational and supportive friend think about and respond to the situation?
• Try other ways to relax rather than cigarette smoking. Try: reading a book, taking a hot bath,
gardening, progressive muscle relaxation or yoga. Have a massage or give a friend a massage.
• Manage your time. Make a list of all the things you have to do and prioritise them. Plan when you
can realistically complete each task and delegate tasks as required. If possible, say ‘No’ to extra
commitments (work or social) if you do not have time.
• Ensure you eat a nutritious and adequate diet, drink plenty of water, exercise and have enough
sleep.
• Be kind to yourself. Do something nice for yourself every day. For example, have a cup of tea in the
sun, walk in the park, try out perfumes or aftershaves in a department store, give yourself a
pedicure.
A psychologist or a stress management program can help you further to manage stress.Preventing A Slip After You Have Quit Smoking
A “slip” means having one or two cigarettes after you have quit. Most slips occur within the first 3 months
after quitting smoking. A slip does not mean that you will start smoking again.
After a slip, many people criticise themselves, and they feel guilty and depressed. This may lead to a sense
that you have no control and, possibly, to more slips. Several slips in a row, or facing conditions where you
are seriously tempted to start smoking again, may increase the chance that you will start smoking again on a
regular basis (relapse).
What to do if you slip:
• Recognise the slip for what it is, a brief return to an old behaviour, an action that says nothing about
future behaviour. You do not become a person who smokes again after one or several slips.
• Slips are not signs of failure. Don't give up completely on your efforts to quit.
• Talk with someone who is supportive, for example a family member, another person who has quit,
or your health professional.
• Make cigarettes hard to get. Don't buy a pack. Don't go places where it is easy to get one from
someone else.
• Don't let yourself have another cigarette for at least 2 hours. Then decide if you really need it.
• Review your list of reasons to quit. Think about past experiences in which you showed strength, and
see yourself as a strong, capable person who has already come far. Make the decision to take
control again.
• You may find Nicotine Replacement Therapy (e.g. patches) is also helpful.
SOURCE: WebMD Medical Reference from HealthwisePreventing Relapse When You Quit Smoking
Relapse is a return to smoking on a regular basis. Relapse is common and supports the fact that tobacco
dependence is a lifelong (chronic) condition. It does not mean that you have failed.
Relapse may result when two things occur together:
• You are in a situation where smoking is a risk (e.g. being with smokers, drinking, being angry or
facing a stressful period).
• You don't have a way to cope, or you try a coping response or strategy that doesn't work.
Preventing a relapse requires an understanding of both of these things.
Be prepared for relapse
Most people are not successful on their first attempts to quit. If you have previously tried to quit write down
what you learned from those attempts.
Learn to recognise when you might slip or relapse and plan in advance how to cope with those situations.
You can get through them without relapsing. See the ‘How to Manage Smoking Triggers’ handout for
suggestions. Other suggestions include:
• Keep your focus on quitting. Don't diet to lose weight while quitting smoking.
• Reward yourself for effort, not just for reaching your goals.
• Maintain frequent contact with supportive people (health professional, family, friends and support
group).
• Don’t smoke—not even a puff! One puff can lead to another and another.
If you do relapse, seek help from a psychologist or call the Quitline on Tel: 131 848.Quitting Cigarettes Summary
• Make the decision to change or quit.
• Identify high-risk situations and have a plan. Remind yourself of why you want to quit.
• Set a quit (or change) date, make a plan of what to do that day to help you keep to it.
• Ask a friend or relative to help. Call the Quit Line on: 131 848.
• Strategies to quit cigarette smoking
o Distracting: Try and think about something, or do something that will take your mind off it,
especially activities inconsistent with smoking eg Chewing gum or gardening.
o Delaying: if you have the urge to smoke, try and delay having a cigarette.
o De-catastrophise: remind yourself that it is not the end of the world and the feeling will
pass.
o De-stress: Do something that will help you relax eg go for a walk, have a warm bath.
• Reward yourself.
• Remember that a slip is not the same as a relapse. Review your reasons for quitting, talk with
someone supportive and call the Quitline on Tel: 131848.Quit Smoking Tips
1. Quit cold turkey. In the long run it’s the cheapest way to quit. However Nicotine Replacement Therapy plus
behaviour change strategies have been shown to be the most effective technique of quitting smoking. Talk to your
doctor or psychologist about which method might be best for you.
2. Write a list of all your reasons for quitting. Keep your list with you and read it often.
3. Get rid of all your cigarettes. Tell friends and family that you’ve started a new life without cigarettes.
4. Quit smoking one day at a time.
5. Thinking about positive things like your freedom from cigarettes or “I am doing myself a favour” can be helpful and
may make quitting easier for you.
6. Be aware that many routine situations may trigger a craving for nicotine. Situations which may be a trigger include:
after meals, talking on the phone, social events with smoking friends. Try to maintain your normal routine while
quitting. If any event seems too tough, leave and go back to it later. Read your list of reasons to quit. Do not feel you
must give up any activity forever.
7. Practice deep breathing exercises when you have a craving.
8. Help your body adjust to the symptoms that may occur after quitting (e.g. headache, inability to concentrate,
dizziness) by eating small amounts of food at least every three hours. Nicotine Replacement Therapy may also be
helpful.
9. To help avoid weight gain, eat vegetables and fruit instead of lollies and cakes. Do some moderate form of regular
exercise. If you have not been exercising regularly, consult your physician first.
10. If you encounter a crisis (e.g. a flat tire, illness, finances) while quitting, remember smoking is no solution. Smoking
will complicate the original situation while creating another crisis – a return to smoking.
11. Visualise the challenges ahead (stress, tremendous joy, weight gain, boredom, financial problems, the end of a
relationship, drinking, being around a smoker) and picture yourself successfully overcoming each of them, without
cigarettes.
12. Ask yourself how you’d feel about going back to your old level of cigarette smoking. Imagine taking all of the
cigarettes back. Picture them all. Picture the smoke travelling through your body. Remember how it felt to stop in
the first place and ask yourself if you want to prolong those withdrawal feelings. Visit www.quitnow.info.au and
http://whyquit.com for pictures of the damage each cigarette causes.
13. Remember “every cigarette is doing you damage”.
14. Save the money you usually spend on cigarettes and buy yourself something you really want after a week or a
month. Save for a year and reward yourself with a holiday.
15. Begin living your new life. Engage in activities that require more than an hour to complete and challenge your new
body. Enjoy your new sense of freedom and improved health.
16. Be proud of yourself for not smoking! Reward yourself.
SOURCE: http://whyquit.com; www.quitnow.info.auHealthy Lifestyle Programs
Prince of Wales Hospital Respiratory Medicine 9382 4641
Intensive 3-month (10 visits) program. Assesses level of dependency, use of
either behavioural and/or Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) strategies
for quitting. No cost unless using NRT.
St Vincent’s Hospital Alcohol and Other Drugs Services 9361 8020
5 week free program which aims to assist people to quit, examines health
costs of smoking and health benefits of quitting, helps people to change
their thinking around smoking, manage triggers and cravings, and adopt a
healthy lifestyle, including nutrition and exercise.
Private Smoker’s Service 9331 1534
Treatment by a doctor located at Darlinghurst, individual sessions, tailored
to the patient (may include hypnosis, depending on suitability). Number of
sessions depends on individual circumstances (e.g. previous attempts,
stress). Cost is $96 per session (Medicare rebate).
Smoke Enders 9387 5755
www.smokenders.com.au
Programs run 4 times a year throughout Sydney.
Information Options
NSW Cancer Council (Information and referral) 9334 1900
Quit Line 131 848
Social / Exercise Options
Positive Living Centre 96998756
Workshops, complementary therapies and social events.
*NEW* website: www.nomorebutts.org.au
St Vincents Hospital Gym 83823348
Prince of Wales Hospital Gym Physio 9382 2222
Revised: September 2012You can also read
