Today, November 19, communities across the country celebrate the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. On this day, tobacco users are invited to avoid smoking, dipping, or vaping for a day as they learn about resources that can help them stay quit for life. It also is a great time to offer encouragement to tobacco users in your life who are thinking of quitting.
Quitting is one of the best things you can do for your health—and your wallet! It also can be scary, especially if you have quit before. But there is good news! As soon as you quit, your body starts to heal. And every time you quit, you are closer to being tobacco-free for life!
Here are two tools to help you beat nicotine addiction for good!
1. Double Your Chances of Quitting with Medicine
Seven medicines are approved by the FDA to make quitting more comfortable. Five of these have nicotine, the addictive chemical in tobacco. These medicines work by putting nicotine into the blood through the skin, helping reduce cravings. The patch works slowly all day, so many people combine the patch with a faster-acting medicine like gum or inhaler.
• Nicotine patches (with or without prescription)
• Nicotine gum (with or without prescription)
• Nicotine lozenge (with or without prescription)
• Nicotine inhaler (prescription)
• Nicotine nasal spray (prescription)
Two medicines do not have nicotine. They help reduce cravings by acting directly on the brain.
• Chantix (prescription)
• Buproprion SR (prescription)
Talk to your doctor about the best medicines for you, and be sure to get a prescription even if they are available over the counter. Most insurance will help you get these medicines for a very low cost or even free if you have a prescription!
2. Free Coaching from Quit Now Indiana
When you enroll, you can get a free starter pack of nicotine medicine if you have Medicaid, Medicare, or no insurance!
• Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW to talk to a coach who can help you make a plan to beat nicotine cravings and stay tobacco-free for life!
• Visit www.equitnow.com to web chat with a coach and use online tools.
• Ask your phone or web coach about Text2Quit, which sends you personalized messages through your quit journey!
For questions about these or other tobacco cessation tools, please contact Linda Bundick, HealthNet’s Tobacco Cessation Coordinator at lbundick@iuhealth.org or 317-957-2007.
Post by Linda Bundick
Comments are closed.