Myth 1:  I have to set a quit date.

Fact:  Some quit smoking programs require people to set a quit date—usually two to four weeks down the road—to give them time to prepare to quit.  During this time, people get support from friends, clean their houses and cars, and practice doing other activities instead of smoking.  However, this is not the only way to quit.  The Quit Tobacco Program at HealthNet does not require people to set a quit date.  Instead, many people choose to begin using medicines and practicing alternatives to smoking before quitting for good.

Myth 2:  I have to stop smoking before I can take medicine to help me stop smoking.

Fact:  New research tells us it is safe to continue to smoke a little while getting started with nicotine medicine.  Talk to your doctor or quit smoking counselor to make a personal plan that will help you reduce and then quit smoking.

Myth 3:  Using nicotine medicine is like trading one addiction for another.

Fact:  Nicotine medicine is designed to satisfy part of the brain’s craving for nicotine so it is more comfortable to go without using tobacco.  Always use nicotine medicine according to the package directions or a doctor or counselor’s advice.  It may take several weeks or even months of using nicotine medicines until you feel ready to be nicotine free.  Then you can gradually reduce the amount of nicotine you get.  Working with a doctor or counselor can help you make a plan to stop using nicotine medicines.

Myth 4:  I have tried all the medicines out there to help me quit.

Fact:  There are seven medicines approved by the FDA to help people quit smoking, and most people have not used them all.  Five medicines contain nicotine.  These are patches, gum, lozenges, inhaler, and nasal spray.  Two other medicines are pills that help reduce the urge to smoke.  Chantix and Wellbutrin work differently but they both require a prescription.  Talk to your doctor about the best option for you.

Myth 5:  I have failed too many times before.  I am doomed to smoke forever.

Fact:  You may feel frustrated if you have quit tobacco and started again many times.  But there is good news!  The more times you try to quit, the more likely you are to eventually be able to quit for good.  Every time you go without tobacco, you learn more about your addiction and what does and does not help you avoid tobacco.  Most people who quit for life take at least five tries.  Working with a counselor and using medicine are two great ways to increase the chances your next quit attempt is your last!

For more information or to make a personal quitting plan, contact Linda Bundick, HealthNet’s Tobacco Cessation Counselor, at 317-957-2007. 

To learn more about HealthNet’s Quit Tobacco Program, click here. 

Click the links below to learn more about each product.

Combustible or Burned Tobacco:

You probably know about…
• Cigarettes
• Cigars
• Pipe tobacco

You may not have heard of…
• Cigarillos/Little Cigars/Brown Cigarettes
• Bidis
• Cloves/Kreteks
• Hookah

Smokeless or Spit Tobacco:

You probably know about…
• Chewing tobacco (plug, loose leaf, or twists)
• Moist snuff
• Dry snuff

Snus

You may not have heard of…
• Snus
• Dissolvable tobacco

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)

You probably know about…
• Electronic cigarettes

You may not have heard of…
• Vape pens/hookah pens

To learn more about these products, check out this presentation from Smoke Free Indy.

All forms of tobacco have health risks—even those marketed to be safer than cigarettes.  It is ALWAYS healthier to quit.  If you or someone you know is thinking of quitting, congratulations!  For help quitting, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit www.equitnow.com.

Post by Linda Bundick

This desire to quit comes with good reason. The benefits of quitting smoking seem almost endless:

• Cost – someone who smokes 1 pack a day can save more $2000 per year when they quit
• Lowered risk of tobacco related illnesses, including asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis, several forms of cancer, heart disease, etc. (quitting smoking can add up to 10 years to someone’s life)
• More energy
• Decreasing the emission of second-hand smoke which can harm others (especially children and pets) and the environment
• Better oral hygiene
• Lower medical and dental bills
• Can serve as a healthy role model to children, grandchildren, friends, etc.

The list goes on. Despite these benefits there are still 45 million American adults who smoke. Why? Because quitting smoking is extremely difficult. Perhaps even more difficult than quitting smoking is staying quit.

Most people have heard the Mark Twain quote, “Quitting smoking is easy – I’ve done it a thousand times.”

This statement is profoundly true.

The journey of quitting smoking does not end the day a person stops smoking. It doesn’t end 2 weeks after someone quits, or 2 months, or 2 years. Quitting smoking is a lifelong journey. It’s a very complex battle of physiological, psychological, and social addictions.

However, the intent of this article is not to be discouraging, but encouraging. There is always hope! And despite the difficulties of quitting smoking, more than 48 million Americans have successfully quit!

Research continually shows that when you have a plan and some support, you increase your chances of successfully quitting smoking and staying quit.

In honor of the Great American Smokeout on Thursday, November 20, 2014, here are some practical tips for preparing to quit. 

1. Make a list of all the reasons you want to quit. Keep it in your pocket, tape it to your bathroom mirror, or place it on the refrigerator. Keep this list close to you as a constant reminder of why you’re choosing to be smoke-free.
2. Decide on a quit date. This is a very important step for most people. This allows you to pick a concrete date and to prepare each day leading up to it. Choose a date within the next 1-4 weeks.   You want to give yourself enough time to prepare, but not too much time to change your mind. Some people choose special dates such as birthdays, anniversaries or holidays to add special meaning to it.
3. Make a strategy. Decide whether you want to quit cold turkey or use a medication to help quit. While there’s no magic pill or medication that will force you to quit smoking, the FDA has approved several medications which are designed to decrease nicotine withdrawal. These medications can serve as powerful tools to help you quit. If you’re interested, talk to your doctor or Tobacco Cessation Specialist about what options are available.
4. Remove ashtrays and cigarettes from your home, car, work, etc. This can be an intimidating process, but it is absolutely necessary! If you keep even one cigarette ‘just in case’, you will likely smoke it. Don’t taunt yourself like that; just get rid of it all.
5. Stock up on substitutes. Oral substitutes like sugarless gum, cinnamon sticks, mints, hard candy, carrot or celery sticks, straws, etc. can help you transition from the hand-to-mouth habit of smoking a cigarette.
6. Rethink your routines. Smoking is generally built into a routine, such as morning coffee, after meals, while driving, hanging around certain friends who smoke, etc. Think about changing some of these routines. Drink tea instead of coffee or change the order of your morning routine. Take a different route to work and avoid certain people/situations temporarily if needed. 
7. Elicit support. Tell your trusted friends and family about your plan to quit and communicate with them how they can help you through this process. Give them warning that over the next several weeks you may be cranky. They will appreciate this forewarning.
8. Practice saying, “No thank you, I don’t smoke.” Practice this! You cannot live in a bubble the rest of your life. You will likely be offered a cigarette at some point, so be prepared to say no.  You are smoke-free and it is a great thing!

A few tips once your quit day arrives:

• Stay active – go walking, join a gym, do short bursts of exercise, etc.
• Partake in new hobbies and spend time with others who don’t smoke
• Drink lots of water
• Avoid situations where you know the urge to smoke will be strong
• Drink less alcohol or avoid it completely
• Do not smoke.  Not even one puff – you are smoke-free!

Post by Stacey Chappell

March 19 marks the 19^th annual Kick Butts Day! 

What exactly is Kick Butts Day? 

This day was marked by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to encourage youth to take a stand against ‘Big Tobacco’.  Youth and adults nationwide are encouraged to contribute to this cause by raising awareness of tobacco companies’ deceptive marketing strategies toward youth, reaching out to elected representatives about this issue, and ultimately advocating for others to remain tobacco-free.

What’s the issue?

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, more than 600,000 middle school students and 3 million high school students smoke cigarettes.  An estimated 18% of Indiana high school students smoke, and while approximately 1,200 people die each day from a tobacco-related illness, at least twice as many young people will become regular smokers on a daily basis.

Tobacco companies are smart.  The nicotine found in tobacco is extremely addictive and once a young person becomes addicted, tobacco companies will likely have a lifelong customer.  They understand that youth and young adults are prime targets for their products, and thus pour millions of dollars per day into relentless marketing efforts.

What can you do?

Check out the official Kick Butts Day website for more information and activities you can participate in.

For more information about HealthNet’s Smoking Cessation program, please visit www.indyhealthnet.org or call a HealthNet location near you.

What is the Great American Smokeout (GASO)?

The Great American Smokeout (GASO) is a nationwide event held each year on the third Thursday of November.  The goal of GASO is to encourage people who smoke to give up their cigarettes for one day.  The hope is that they will continue to stay quit!

History of GASO

The concept of GASO began in the 1970’s when people in Randolph, Massachusetts were asked to give up cigarettes for one day and donate the money they saved to a high school scholarship.

The idea escalated from there.  In 1976, nearly 1 million people quit smoking during GASO in California alone!  Since then not only have millions of people quit smoking, but smoking bans have taken place in businesses, cities and states nationwide.

Why quit?

The human body starts recovering from any damage caused by smoking almost immediately after quitting.  Below is a chart from the American Cancer Society that shows details of how the body heals itself after one quits smoking.

How to quit?

Research shows that the chances of quitting and staying quit drastically increase when help is sought, whether it be a medication, support group, or smoking cessation program.  Below are some online resources for quitting.

Guide to Quitting Smoking

Smoke-free Countdown Clock

Cost Calculator

Smoke-free Journey

For more information on HealthNet’s FREE Tobacco Cessation Program, make an appointment at a HealthNet location near you. 

This post was originally posted a year ago, but we thought it was deifnitely worth a re-post!

More than four in five smokers say they want to quit.  Research shows that you are twice as likely to succeed if you join a tobacco cessation program that includes ongoing support.  That’s particularly important for those living near the poverty line.

Like many, Delorus Alderman of Indianapolis started smoking at 18.  Before long, she was a two-pack-a-day smoker.

“Quit now or die”

… was the sobering message from her doctor after she was diagnosed with heart disease.  Delorus began the difficult journey to quitting.

She had help from Stacey Chappell, the smoking cessation counselor at HealthNet Southeast Health & Dental Center.  Stacey gave Delorus many practical tips that she used to prepare herself and her family.  She also received free nicotine replacement therapy patches.

Delorus asked for support from her family and her on-line “IndyMoms” group – all of which rallied around her to help her get through the tough early months.

As Delorus celebrates her second year without cigarettes, challenges remain.  Still, she finds all the reason in the world to remain a non-smoker when she thinks back to that remarkably memorable day when one of her children gave her a big hug and said how glad she was that mom didn’t smell bad anymore.

• Thinking about quitting?  When you’re ready, we’re here to help with ways to quit smoking or chewing tobacco, and resources to support you every step of the way.
• Ready to quit?  HealthNet offers FREE one-on-one tobacco cessation counseling. You’ll learn how to beat cravings and overcome weight gain. Make an appointment at the health center nearest you.
• Help someone in need quit. A small donation to HealthNet’s Health Promotions Program will enable an underserved person to have access to free tobacco cessation counseling.

In the technical sense of the word, I have ALWAYS been a smoker, but I didn’t actively start smoking until I was 18.

Like many have done in the past, Delorus Alderman started smoking at the age of 18.  It was part of the culture at that time.  There weren’t any laws banning smoking ANYWHERE.  There was a smoking “hole” at her school where all you needed was a note giving permission.  Her parents did it, her friends did it, and it was just something that was accepted.  Before long, she was smoking two packs a day without even blinking an eye.

She continued at this pace, until she heard the words come right out of her doctor’s mouth, “Quit now or die.” It was a simple, sobering statement after it was discovered that Delorus had congestive heart failure, and on January 2, 2010, Delorus began her difficult journey to quitting.

With help from HealthNet’s smoking cessation counselor, Stacey Chappell, Delorus has overcome many obstacles on her road to no smoking.  Stacey gave her many practical tips that she used to prepare herself and her family.  Delorus used NRT patches; however, she was unable to us Chantix due to other health issues.  “Stacey gave me my life back, and I try to tell her how amazing she is every time I talk to her.”

Delorus gained inspiration from her husband, Jerry, who quit smoking in 2002.  But with inspiration also came some resentment.  Jerry made it look easy, and this oftentimes discouraged Delorus. “He took a class, read a book, and just walked away from the cigarettes.  But, he was my biggest supporter, even when I wasn’t the happiest camper!” She had tried to quit several times in the past, but ended with no avail.  Now, she could not even tell people that she was trying to quit because she didn’t think she could be successful.

"Stacey gave me back my life..."

Blessed with a supportive husband and family, Delorus sought peer support from others who were going through the same thing.  She asked for support from her online “MomsLikeMe” group – all of whom rallied around her, using creative strategies and tough love to help her get through those hard months.  Her kids would bring her hard candy and gum. Her youngest daughter came up with a great idea – a jar for collecting cigarette money, a visualization of her success.  And Jerry was there, whispering words of encouragement and support along the way.  Her online group stuck with her, emailing with her at all hours of the day and the night.  Making herself accountable to these folks spring boarded Delorus to success.

As Delorus enters her first year without cigarettes in a very long time, challenges still remain.  Cravings are strong.  Family members and friends still smoke.  However, Delorus finds inspiration in a thought she had when reflecting on becoming a non-smoker – “My mom was 8 years older than I am now when she passed away from congestive heart failure.  She was a smoker; so, I felt like if I kept smoking, then I was bailing on my kids.”

You can help others and yourself to quit smoking.  Contact our tobacco cessation counselor or look up the health center location near you.

Add a comment below if you or a loved one has had a success story, and feel free to post any questions you have about our program!