Proven Tools to Quit Smoking

For today’s discussion on Proven Tools to Quit Smoking | E-Cigs are not!, I was compensated by Med-IQ through an educational grant from Pfizer, Inc. and the Coverys Foundation to write about smoking cessation. All opinions are my own. Med-IQ is an accredited medical education company that provides exceptional experience for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals. I decided to work with them to generate awareness around smoking cessation because my dearly loved grandpa, who smoked his whole life, died from cancer.

This is my grandpa, Weston. A more wonderful grandpa there could never be. No matter when I called him, he was always right there to help. Whether I locked my keys in my car (it was his car previously) or called him to have him solve an argument with my brother over card playing rules, Grandpa never let me down. He and Grandma attended everything I ever did. One never-forget moment was when I had the lead role in a college play, he sat in the front row and cried the whole time, he was such a softie.

Another moment, I will also never forget is when I sat by his bedside as he was dying from cancer caused by years of smoking. As I sat there, I wished I would have been old enough to have a discussion with him when I was much younger, asking him to quit and giving him some proven tools to quit smoking. I couldn’t save my grandfather from the horrible death he suffered, but I can pass on knowledge I have since learned to you, my readers, in hopes current knowledge will help you or a loved one quit smoking.

Today, let’s discuss proven ways to quit smoking, but first let’s debunk a myth. At the end of this article, you will be asked to follow the link to complete a short survey and then you can enter for a chance to win 1 of 10 $100 Visa gift cards.

Debunking the E-Cigarette Myth

The myth: e-cigarettes are often sold and marketed as smoking cessation tools. They are not! Here’s the facts:

E-cigarettes are not FDA approved proven tools to help you quit smoking.
Based on current scientific research, the use of e-cigarettes is not a recommended tool to quit smoking.
Using e-cigarettes and cigarettes together when trying to quit smoking, can sometimes lead to regular use of both (dual using), which may delay quitting tobacco products for
good.

If you or a loved one wants to quit smoking cigarettes, there are approaches that are supported by evidence for safety and efficacy and are FDA approved.

Tools to Quit Smoking

So if I was going to try to convince my grandpa, who died from cancer after years of smoking, to quit smoking, what proven tools to quit are available today?

What is the current recommended path for someone to quit smoking cigarettes or vaping/e-cigarettes? The two main approaches are counseling and/or use of smoking cessation aids. Let’s discuss both of these approaches.

A. Tool to Quit Smoking–Counseling

Did you know many people try to quit smoking multiple times in their lives but few are successful on their own? Counseling significantly increases your chances of quitting smoking successfully. How can you or your loved one receive counseling? Any or all of the below are effective and proven ways to quit,

Talk your healthcare provider
Check out the web and text resources at http://smokefree.gov
Call the toll-free Quitline 1-800-QUIT-NOW . It’s interesting to note that all states quitlines provide free counseling, print resources, local referrals and many provide access to smoking cessation aids as well.

B. Proven Tool to Quit Smoking–Smoking Cessation Aids

FDA-approved smoking cessation aids are proven to increase your chances of becoming tobacco-free by treating and reducing nicotine addiction. What is an FDA-approved smoking cessation aid? These consist of nicotine replacement therapy (lozenges, spray, inhaler, patch, gum) and prescribed smoking cessation medicine (Chantix/varenicline and Zyban/Wellbutrin/bupropion).

C. Combine both Counseling and FDA-approved Smoking Cessation Aids for Best Quitting Success

Today, most smokers already know that smoking isn’t good for them. 7 in 10 smokers even WANT to quit, and about 1 in 2 make an attempt each year. Smoking is a tough addiction to quit. Relapse is the norm. FDA-approved smoking cessation aids + counseling are proven to increase a person’s chances of quitting. Combining counseling and use of nicotine replacement therapy or prescribed smoking cessation medicine can double or even triple quit success rates (compared to using no quit aids)! Now that’s some advice you can use or pass on to a loved one! I sure wish I could tell my grandpa!

Take a Survey, Enter for a chance to win $100 (10 Winners)

Med-IQ is conducting an anonymous survey and would appreciate your input. The survey, which includes additional education on this topic, will take less than 10 minutes to complete. Survey responses are shared only in aggregate.
Your responses to these survey questions will provide Med-IQ with important information about your
views on and experiences with smoking cigarettes and vaping e-cigarettes. Your responses will
be used to identify additional opportunities to help people stop smoking and vaping and educate
their healthcare providers.
Once you’ve completed the survey, you will have the option of providing your email address to be entered into a drawing administered by SOMA Strategies to win 1 of 10 $100 VISA gift cards. If you choose to enter, email addresses are used only to randomly draw the winners and notify them of their prize.