tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38490059816206578932012-02-16T10:01:52.142-08:00A site that encourages smokers to quit and provides tips to friends and family on how to motivate a smoker to quit without nagging, shaming or blaming.VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.comBlogger1551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-9193813713355200642012-01-07T09:18:00.000-08:002012-01-07T09:40:38.981-08:00

Midnight on New Year's Eve was my favorite time to quit smoking. One particular time stands out. My roommate and I were having a New Year's Eve Party. I rigged a bunch of balloons up in a net to be released at midnight, which is when I smoked my last cigarette. As the balloons dropped and the smoke curled out from my lips, I thought how great it will be to stop smoking. As a cancer survivor, each

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Every smoker is different and when trying to decide which medication is the best one to use, it is often a matter of trial and error. But over the years I have seen different patterns emerge. It's only my observation and not scientific but it may be better than trial and error. I always ask smoker to complete the following sentence: "I want to quit BUT......" What I've noticed is what comes

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-19241575697607498332011-10-07T13:53:00.000-07:002011-10-07T13:56:27.759-07:00

A few weeks ago I listened to a webinar about reducing teen smoking rates. I knew it was sponsored by Altria (formerly known as Phillip Morris, AKA Marlboro land). It wasn't so much what was said but what was NOT said. There was no disclosure for this webinar that Altria was paying for it and I bet that if it had been disclosed, many of the call participants would have hung up. Next, I started

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"You have cancer," are the most terrifying words a person can hear in their lifetime, yet are so common with 1 out of 2 men and 1 out of 3 women being diagnosed within their lifetime with the big "C". I can't think of anything else that will affect every American in such a profound way. I was in Washington DC this week as a legislative Ambassador for the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action

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For less than the cost of a pack of  cigarettes, this comprehensive pocket guidebook to stop smoking is loaded with tips, suggestions, and ideas to guide any smoker through the quitting process. Based on clinical research proven to be effective, the information is divided into four steps: Building motivation, Creating a plan to be successful, Quit Day, Preventing relapse. Discover:The 15 Tips

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Are you one of millions of smokers stuck on the ambivalence fence having a love/hate relationship with your cigarettes? Do you want to quit but you also enjoy smoking? Learn the practical steps to get off the fence and become smoke-free on your own terms. How many times have you tried to stop smoking?  Read this e-book to make your next time, your last time. Learn the secret to successful

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In a relationship where both are smokers, three things can happen: 1. Both really want to quit.2. One wants to quit and the other does not.3. One wants to quit and while the other really isn't ready to quit, but they go along with their mate. For the best chance at success, you need to decide to quit for yourself regardless of the decision of your partner.  When Don and Susan quit together, Don

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In 1986, I went to a four star restaurant in Laguna Beach. As we sat down, I noticed that no one was smoking and there weren't any ashtrays on the table. I went into immediate panic of not being able to smoke there. I wanted to leave but the waiter assured me that I could smoke and brought me an ashtray. Today, I wouldn't sit anywhere if smoking is allowed. I recently attended an event at one of

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 I've been saying for 20 years that once you quit, you may feel hungrier than when you smoke and there is a study that proves it. Nicotine binds to receptors in the brain that tell you when to stop eating. There are other reasons why quitters will gain weight but a comprehensive quitting plan will include weight management for those concerned. Here is the chapter about avoiding weight gain from

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A new study shows some smokers have a genetic factor which makes it more difficult to quit smoking.  Smokers who have an abundance of "mu opioid receptors" (MOR) in their brain, are more likely to relapse because their brains find nicotine more rewarding. PET scans were used to show that smokers with excess MOR's had different genetic factors than smokers with less MOR's. When nicotine fits into

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-41489993998144057382011-05-22T11:25:00.000-07:002011-05-22T11:25:30.866-07:00

Feeling like a slug after surgery, I wasn't able to take my dog Joey, for his daily 45 minute walk. Instead we went to the local dog park. Within a few minutes someone else walked in, sat next to me and lit up a cigarette. I could have asked her to put it out but since it's not against the law in La Quinta, she didn't have to, and after having major surgery, I wasn't up to a confrontation with a

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There are many personal reasons to become smokefree such as better health, and saving money, but quitting is also good for the environment. Trash Cigarette butts are the number one trash item collected on our beaches with over one million butts collected in the United States alone. Worldwide over 4 trillion butts are smoked each year. Each butt is made of about 12,000 plastic fibers which take 12

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Often what keeps smokers smoking is either shame or guilt or both. As a coach, I never want to add to either emotion with my clients. Shame is "there is something wrong with me (that's why I can't quit)". Guilt is "I'm doing something wrong (but I don't know how to stop)". I remember feeling both after my first cancer diagnosis---even smokers would bug me to quit--"VJ, why are you smoking, you've

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Have you ever thought of the perfect response to a comment later? That happened to me a few days ago when I was talking to a group of physicians. One said, "Nicotine is not an addiction. Addiction is when you hold up your mother for money to buy your drugs." I mumbled some answer and only later thought about what I wish I had said: When I talk about nicotine being addictive, I'm talking about

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Have you ever gone without smoking and developed an overwhelming craving that felt like, "I'M GOING TO DIE OR GO CRAZY IF I DONT' HAVE A CIGARETTE!"? If so, nicotine has hijacked the survival part of your brain. From the very first puff of a cigarette, nicotine produced a powerful effect on the primate part of our brain that controls our survival instincts. Often people will say that smoking is

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The doctor was running late for my pre-operative appointment and I had time to talk with Jeanni, the patient coordinator at UCLA. In September I had a bilateral mastectomy (mandatory) with immediate (elective) DIEP-flap (tummy tuck) reconstruction. In two weeks I will have the second stage of the reconstruction. This surgery is on the cutting edge of breast reconstruction and offers the best

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I quit smoking because I had cancer at a young age and knew I was at high risk for a reocurrence for the rest of my life. If the cancer ever came back, I didn't want to wonder if it was caused by my smoking. I know the answer to that question now, since in August, I was diagnosed with cancer again. While I don't know why it reoccurred, I know it wasn't from smoking. Some may ask if I don't 

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Several services send me daily updates on news items, blogs and other postings on anything to do with tobacco issues. I'm always amazed at the amount of misinformation available and the products that guarantee a smoker will quit. That 100% guarantee should be the tip off that it's just a 100% guarantee that they want your money. Every method will work for some individuals but no method will work

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For the past seven years I have been visiting Mrs. Smith's health education classes at Coachella Valley High School as a guest speaker. It's one of the most important talks I do and one of the most rewarding. Mrs. Smith handed me an envelope full of letters from students that attended my last talk. Each thanked me for for talking to them and listed what they learned that was most important to

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A large woman walked into my presentation in Hawaii. Both legs were bandaged due to circulatory problems from her diabetes. A two + pack a day smoker, she admitted she had never gone an hour without a smoke break. Her doctor had given up on her ever quitting and allowed her to leave in the middle of her medical appointments to go grab a smoke. She stayed and listened to the entire hour plus

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Addiction Box by Dirk Hanson This is an interesting article about whether addiction is a disease or not. The case can be made that individuals that are addicted to a substance (whether it's nicotine or something else) have a powerlessness over the ability to abstain from their nicotine (or other substance). In this post, the point is made that often addiction is a change in the nervous system

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The White house released the results of President Obama's first physical which noted that occasional use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Obama admitted to smoking an occasional cigarette but what does that mean -what is "an occasional" cigarette. Regardless of his apparent health--no one who smokes is healthy. One cigarette increases the heart rate, blood pressure, releases carbon monoxide

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Last night was graduation for the participants in my smoking cessation workshop. All had quit smoking for varying lengths of time from a couple of days to two months. For most, it had been three weeks but a common thread was, "Why is it still so hard? Why do I still have cravings? Why doesn't it seem to be getting any easier?" Those comments are an example of still thinking of smoking as just a

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It was an unfortunate choice that when taking supplies to Haiti, that some staffer threw in some cigarette cartons along with real necessities such as soap, water and food. But I think this is a sad commentary on how much of our society still thinks of smoking as just a bad habit instead of an addiction. I'm sure whomever bought the cigarettes thought it would bring comfort but I'm also sure that

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Often a smokers best meaning friends and family are their worst enemy when trying to quit. Smokers need support and encouragement, but our supporters often are saboteurs instead. On Franks first day, his wife asked how he did that day. Frank, a two pack a day smoker, admitted that he smoked two cigarettes. Instead of congratulating him on not smoking of the other thirty eight, she focused on his

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Jim quit smoking when he was in his 30's after receiving a diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmunary Disease (COPD). He took his doctor's advice and switched from smoking cigarettes to using smokeless tobacco or "chew". Thirty years later Jim is in my Stop Smoking, Stay Quit class to stop his nicotine addiction to smokeless tobacco. This is an example of "harm reduction". The premise is that

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I just watched a program featuring Stanton Glanz, PhD. from the University of California in San Fransisco. He is one of my heroes. He has been a leading force in California's smoke free laws since 1978. He was talking on the relationship between smoking and breast cancer. Another subject dear to my heart since I am a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed when I was 32. Glanz presents a very

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I'm approached all the time to sell products that claim to help a smoker quit. One company claimed that cravings would vanish by smelling a cinnamon scented wand. In a very unscientific experiment, I gave them out to all of the participants in one of my workshops. One third said that the wands did remove the craving, one third said the wands did nothing and one third said smelling the wand caused

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Quitting is a process and not a one time event but often smokers think that they should just wake up one day and quit. Instead, take it one step at a time. Don't know where to start? Before you can make any changes, know where you are by keeping a diary of when you smoke--what time, what you are doing, how you are feeling. You will start to see patterns which will tell you what aspects you need

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There are thousands of products offering a 100% guarantee that you will quit smoking but while every method will work for some, no method works for everyone. But successful quitters do have several factors in common.Build Desire: Quit smoking because it is important to you. Find your own reasons for being becoming smoke free. Often people trying to convince smokers to quit, give their own reasons

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Most smokers know that smoking causes lung cancer but they may not know that smoking is responsible for over 30% of ALL cancers including mouth and lip cancer. Pete had cancer of the lips from smoking cigars. While the plastic surgery did a great job at reconstructing his lips, Pete said that the numbness from the sugery, "Took all the fun out of kissing." While 1 out of 3 Americans will develop

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-63296929049168779192009-02-26T10:21:00.000-08:002009-02-26T10:35:58.043-08:00

Fear often holds a smoker back from even trying to quit. I remember being afraid of success, "If I quitting smoking, What will I do?" Smoking has become part of our identity, "Who am I, if I'm not a smoker?" Others have tried to quit so many times that there is a fear of another failure. The fear of gaining weight will stop some smokers, especially women, from ever trying to stop smoking. Other

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There have been two recent plane crashes in the news. One ended with the survival of all the passengers and crew, the other in tragedy with all aboard lost. In a crisis situation, the pilot has only a few precious minutes to make life or death decisions. Pilots spend hours training for a crisis, hoping they will never have to use this training. In the two plane crashes, one pilot put his

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The new tactic of the tobacco companies is to promote smokeless tobacco and snus as a way to quit smoking but those forms of tobacco are dangerous too. Here are some myths taken from: http://oralcancernews.org/wp/Debunking the mythsMyth: Smokeless tobacco products are a safe alternative to tobacco smoking.Fact: Here is the bottom line–smokeless is not harmless. The list of serious illnesses

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I always ask the participants in my stop smoking workshops, "What is the longest time you have been off cigarettes?" Their answer tells me quite a bit about how to help them be successful with their latest quit attempt. Here is what some of their answers mean:"I've never quit for more than a few days." This smoker is probably heavily addicted to nicotine and relapses because of the withdrawal

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My first workshop at Hi Desert Medical Center was a success!! All of the participants quit smoking. One individual, who had been a two pack a day smoker, was still struggling with smoking less than 10 cigarettes by the last class but called me yesterday to say that she had finally stopped a few days later by using a combination of bupropion and the nicotine inhaler that I had suggested. Here is a

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My job has got to be the most rewarding on earth. I just finished 3 workshops in Southern California and many smokers were successful at quitting. That means a few less people will die from heart disease, a few less from cancer, and a few less will be disabled from a stroke or from emphysema, living out the last years of their lives tied to an oxygen tank.I don't take credit for their quitting, I

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Timing can be everything and today may be the time to stop smoking. Give the gift of a longer, healthier life to both your loved ones as well as for yourself. As a single person who won't date a smoker, I've been told that I might be missing out on a great guy, which may be true but I don't want to fall in love with a man that will die from some horrible disease caused by his smoking. So if you

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Mary's father started her smoking at 16 because he thought it made her look sophisticated, now at 70, she finds it almost impossible to quit. We've come a long way baby, from an attitude like Mary's father yet even today when a teenager is caught with cigarettes, that parent breathes a sign of relief that it wasn't something stronger, "It's just cigarettes, a right of a passage instead of drugs"

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Helping people quit smoking has never been a popular issue. Individuals who have never smoked can’t understand how anyone would ever start and think a smoker should just put the cigarette down and walk away. Smokers scream about their right to smoke and are encouraged by the tobacco industry trying to maintain their profits. Former smokers say that if they can quit, anybody can quit and often

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Superbowl is one of the biggest sports parties of the year and a time when many former smokers will relapse. A huge social event with plenty of food and drink, with cheering and socializing and a slippery slope for those who have quit smoking. A cigarette seems to fit into this party atmosphere and many will rationalize that one won't hurt. But most people underestimate the power of nicotine--

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Some ex-smokers will say that one day they just decided to quit and they did, walked away from their cigarettes and never had another puff. It's like a light switch being turned on, going from not wanting to quit smoking to becoming a former smoker. For some smokers when that light switch turns on, they are more likely to stay quit than if they decide to delay quitting by making a plan, they do

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-23112313395005972942008-12-01T13:11:00.000-08:002009-01-28T12:16:34.490-08:00

Think about when you bought your last car. Did the salesman sell you a car that you really didn't want? Or did you buy a car that you wanted and the salesman provided information and helped facilitate your buying decision? Who was in control? Salesman are taught how to overcome objections to the sale. Did your car salesman manipulate you into buying the car by overcoming all objections or did the

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-91906371103831734322008-11-19T08:14:00.001-08:002008-11-22T14:08:16.115-08:00

It's easy to quit smoking, I've done it hundreds of times! Every time you snub out a butt, you have quit smokin. The trick to staying quit is to not light up another one. The American Cancer Society encourages smokers to try to live without their cigarettes for just one day. Sometimes that is all it takes for a smoker to realize that they can live without their smokes. But most smokers have quit

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-59635866586664057742008-11-07T13:37:00.000-08:002009-02-28T09:30:24.889-08:00

All cigarette packs are required to show disgusting pictures of health problems caused by smoking.

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-86421289348122685092008-10-21T21:34:00.000-07:002008-10-21T21:39:03.179-07:00

I've been in New Zealand for the past week on vacation. Smoking is not very popular here. Every cigarette pack had nasty pictures of what smoking can do to your health and every one under the age of 25 is carded. I've seen a few younger individuals smoking but not as many as in the Untied States. Cost may be part of the reason, a pack of cigarette is $11 to $12 NZ (about $7-$8US). A man on a

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-14873764949307902532008-10-12T13:53:00.000-07:002008-10-12T14:08:41.215-07:00

Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things that many individuals will do in their lifetime. Why do some people seem to have what it takes to stop smoking and not relapse? Or the opposite side of the same coin, why do some smokers relapse? What is it the makes one quitter successful and the other slip comfortably back to smoking?When your reason(s) for wanting to be a non-smoker are more

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-38551626734556912962008-10-11T15:14:00.001-07:002008-10-11T15:14:46.400-07:00

The Great American Smokeout sponsored by the American Cancer Society is next month where smokers are encouraged to quit for just one day, with the idea that the smoker might continue for another day and another day. As a spokesperson for tobacco issues for the local office, I'm often asked by reporters to give smokers one bit of advice to be successful at quitting. I believe that if the smoker

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-36660149025978801542008-10-04T08:40:00.000-07:002008-10-04T08:42:03.978-07:00

In most of my workshops, everyone quits smoking but that figure is misleading because I think that nicotine addiction is over estimated as a problem to quitting but UNDER estimated as a problem when dealing with relapse. Many smokers come to my workshops saying I'm their "Last Resort", they have tried everything and nothing works. I know these individuals will be successful long term because they

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-37418735869468636892008-10-02T12:17:00.000-07:002008-10-02T12:48:36.270-07:00

Quitting is a process where we change our behavior one step at a time. Thsi often starts with a statement such as, "I'm not going to smoke in the house anymore." "I"m not going to smoke in my car." or after we quit, we tell ourselves, "I'm not going to smoke ever again."But our brains are funny sometimes and the unconscious sometimes doesn't hear the word "NOT" because those kind of statments

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-5056966169937902322008-09-28T08:01:00.000-07:002008-09-28T08:24:28.547-07:00

Each year 435,000 people die from smoking related diseases and that doesn't mean much to us until we understand that there is a name behind each of those numbers. Paul Newman lost his battle to cancer. He lived a great life and with his philanthropic donations and creating the Hole in the Wall Camp for kids with cancer, he has enhanced the lives of many. Yet, he has become another statistic in

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-56145473168016667812008-09-21T10:37:00.000-07:002008-09-21T10:56:08.156-07:00

Many people want to point a finger at smokers, "Don't you know that it's bad for your health?" they ask.These self righteous individuals are making smoking a moral or ethical issue instead of what it is--a health issue, pure and simple. Smokers are not bad people because they smoke. 90% started as a teenager before they were legally able to buy cigarettes and before their brains were fully

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-29641208834820585472008-09-19T15:32:00.000-07:002008-10-04T08:16:04.464-07:00

It was through a workshop that I quit smoking and 3 months later I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had been quit for 5 months and I relapsed while I was going through chemotherapy.Most smokers in a very short period of time feel like a non-smoker and think that they will never smoke again until they have to handle a tremendous amount of stress, like I did with having to go through cancer

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-41361236612205417262008-09-18T10:51:00.000-07:002008-09-18T11:11:45.277-07:00

More and more people are quitting every day. If it was easy for you to quit smoking, you probably would have quit already. But those who are still smoking are more likely to have less education, less income and are more likely to have a substance abuse problem or a mental illness. This does NOT apply to all smokers but this is the group that are having a hard time quitting. Is there a connection?

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-65030892722289841362008-09-17T15:48:00.000-07:002009-06-23T16:40:51.349-07:00

There are a couple of inpatient programs in the United States. The Mayo Clinic has a inpatient program that is a combination of medications, cognitive-behavior therapy and relapse prevention. Many people successfully quit in this environment. Yet the people that come to my workshops that have been through other inpatient programs, tell me that it is easier to quit in a protected environment

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-56358971838723156022008-09-16T07:55:00.000-07:002008-09-16T08:06:05.710-07:00

Quitting is like a baby learning to walk. First the baby grabs onto the coffee table and holds on, next stands up and immediately falls on their butt and finally takes a first step and falls on butt again. But we would never chastise a baby because they don't take off and start running immediately because we know it is a process and that the baby is learning how to use muscles they have never

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-8982771104277106652008-09-15T09:11:00.000-07:002008-09-15T09:24:32.697-07:00

There are two different periods when a smoker quits. The initial quitting lasts 2 to 4 weeks. This is when the quitter is learning how to deal with the physical aspects of quitting and the habit cigarettes. There are now 7 FDA approved medications to handle the physical aspect of quitting and most individuals are able to get through this period by using one or a combination of these medications

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-70503266057298374192008-09-13T11:30:00.000-07:002008-09-14T11:55:39.291-07:00

I've heard it over and over again--"I tried The Patch (or the gum or any other medication) and it didn't work". there are several reasons why the 7 FDA-approved medications don't work.1. Under dosed. The guidelines with the use of nicotine replacement products may not deliver sufficient nicotine. If a smoker is smoking two packs a day that is the equivalent to two-21mg patches. If they were only

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-3317855739733813712008-09-11T08:30:00.000-07:002008-09-11T08:58:04.559-07:00

You've quit smoking for a couple of days and it's been a struggle but so far you've been able to resist temptation. A well meaning friend asks how you are doing? You explain your struggles and instead of getting encouragement that while it is hard that you can do it, the comments you get --feel like judgement, blaming and shaming. Friends who have never smoked just don't get it and former smokers

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-58494923147002169482008-09-10T08:17:00.000-07:002008-09-10T08:24:39.439-07:00

This will indicate whether you are dependent upon nicotine and may indicate whether you will need medicinal support for withdrawals when you quit.Answer each question in the list below, giving yourself the appropriate points.1. How soon after you wake up do you have your first cigarette?a. within 5 minutesb. 6-30 minutesc. 31-60 minutesd. After 60 minutes2. Do you find it difficult to refrain

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-16778186313945549282008-09-09T11:32:00.000-07:002008-09-09T11:41:44.998-07:00

If you have a smoker in your life that you have been trying to get them to quit by nagging, blaming and shaming, BUTT OUT. Those tactics don't work, if they did, no one would be smoking since every smoker has at least one person nagging them. Instead, listen to the smoker and keep these 5 "R's" in mind. This list was originally a remind for healthcare workers when talking to their patients, so

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-3131906862757490312008-09-08T09:15:00.000-07:002008-09-08T09:29:26.583-07:00

After building a desire to quit, many smokers get stuck in a love/hate relationship with their cigarettes. They want to quit but they also don't want to give them up just yet. But if you think of this a process and not a one time event, it will make it easier. So the first step is to start to break your connections to your cigarettes. Most smoker smoke unconsciously. The computer in our head

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-51178598909971943642008-09-07T12:46:00.000-07:002008-09-07T12:47:53.157-07:00

In a workshop during the time of 9-11, one woman had quit and her husband continued to smoke. She said, "Every time I see his pack of cigarettes, I just think that this is 20 little terrorists trying to kill me."It is important to change the way you think about smoking and cigarettes. Often smokers feel deprived when they quit or that they are losing a best friend. Instead of deprivation or loss,

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-31769873933357369432008-09-06T08:09:00.000-07:002008-09-06T08:41:36.591-07:00

Both smoking and weight can cause health problems, so which do you tackle first? Many individuals will gain weight when they stop smoking (see previous post about 7 reasons for weight gain) but few will start smoking when they go on a weight loss program (unless they are a former smoker who has relapsed). We do know now that smoking changes insulin levels and increases the risk of metabolic

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-85200256729822801012008-09-05T10:33:00.000-07:002008-09-05T10:41:54.082-07:00

Whenever Steve took the trash out, his wife would comment that he smelled like smoke. Steve always said the smell was from a neighbor that smoked that he ran into outside.Gail was in sales and before going into a client’s office, she would spray, spritz, wash and cover up any sign or smell that she smoked.After Richard's heart surgery, his wife found a pack of cigarettes in his bathrobe. She

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-91886548470646569632008-09-04T11:10:00.000-07:002008-09-04T11:21:07.745-07:00

Nicotine is a powerful drug that enters enters the brain and attaches to receptors that release dopamine, which is a feel-good neurotransmitter. So when a smoker says that they enjoy smoking, what they are really saying is they enjoy the effect that nicotine has on their brain. One of the other things that nicotine does, is that it goes to the part of the brain that enhances external events,

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-7282078071016779122008-09-03T11:10:00.000-07:002008-09-03T11:30:04.042-07:00

Many insurance policies do not cover programs or medications to quit smoking, yet quitting smoking is the best thing a smoker can do to improve their health. The long term cost savings alone would more than cover the initial cost. 50% of smokers will die from a direct cause of their smoking, which are very expensive diseases-heart disease, cancer, emphysema, stroke, just to name a few. But does

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-28831126887641056492008-09-02T15:37:00.000-07:002008-09-02T16:20:01.090-07:00

While I have had a couple of aerobic instructors attend my workshops to quit smoking, most smokers would rather go light up another cigarette than hit the gym. Besides, smoking makes it difficult to breathe after running up a flight of stairs, let alone when hitting the stairmaster. Exercise and smoking just don't seem to go together. Yet starting an exercise program can help with the quitting

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-86352501711272687472008-08-31T09:05:00.000-07:002008-08-31T09:25:19.553-07:00

I read a lot of blogs and websites that are written by former smokers that give advice on how they quit smoking. I encourage every smoker to find a way that works for them but often these reformed smokers are giving bad advice that will cause another smoker to fail or relapse, which just increases the sense of shame that a smoker has that there is something wrong with them that they can't quit,

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-55398803202150283802008-08-30T08:53:00.000-07:002008-08-30T09:05:10.085-07:00

Have you ever found a cigarette in your mouth and forgot that you had lite up or had a second one in the ashtray? Smoking becomes an unconscious, automatic habit. Most cigarettes are not conscious choices but a reflex. The brain triggers a want, desire or craving for a cigarette and the smoker automatically reaches for one without consciously thinking about it. The brain reflex continues after an

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-15611907573672513352008-08-24T08:01:00.000-07:002008-08-24T08:19:26.885-07:00

Palov was a scientist that discovered that dogs can be conditioned to salivate when they hear a bell rung because the sound had been paired with the presentation of food. The dogs learned that when they hear the bell, they would be fed. This is called classical conditioning. Habit cigarettes are the very same thing. Everything a smoker smokes a cigarette while doing something else, they can

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-8675738159700976732008-08-23T08:18:00.000-07:002008-08-23T08:31:11.694-07:00

Out of 7 siblings, 6 of us smoked. My brother was the first to quit because he was having surgery and was told that he would not heal very well if he continued to smoke, so he quit on the way to the hospital. After his surgery, he nagging the rest of us and was just obnoxious with his holier-than-thou attitude towards those of us who continued to smoke. Years later after I quit, he confessed that

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-76896792020977053072008-08-22T08:47:00.000-07:002008-08-22T09:04:14.452-07:00

Jim quit smoking cigarettes almost two years ago but he has started smoking mini-cigars that are the shape of a cigarette. Many men switch to cigars thinking that this is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes because "you don't inhale" with cigars. Research has shown that when a cigarette smoker stitchs to cigars, that they do inhale, it is an automatic response, plus cigars, depending on the

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-85638969772828316242008-08-21T13:33:00.000-07:002008-08-21T13:49:49.265-07:00

A few days ago I flew up to Seattle to visit family and friends. My flight was delayed and I spent needless extra hours in an airport. If I had been a smoker, this would have been very uncomfortable. Many participants in my stop smoking workshops have admitted that they avoid flying because of the restrictions on smoking. They can't or don't want to have to deal with the stress of flying and

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-54765436023769952742008-08-20T09:08:00.000-07:002008-08-20T09:19:31.224-07:00

Yesterday was my 18th anniversary of going smoke free. I gave my first stop smoking workshop one month later. Even after all this time, I still dream that I smoke. It usually happens before a new workshop is scheduled to start and I'm in a panic because I need to quit right now, so that I can facilitate the class. Upon waking, it takes a minute or two to realize it was just a dream and for that

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Many smokers believe that medicinal nicotine is just as harmful as getting nicotine from smoking but that is not true. Inhalation is the faster way for nicotine to enter into the brain because the smoke goes from the lungs to the heart and is pumped directly to the brain. It only takes about 7 to 10 seconds for nicotine to reach the brain. Inhalation of smoke give a higher concentration of

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-77271905833141396272008-08-18T10:31:00.000-07:002008-08-18T10:45:57.786-07:00

The average smoker smokes a pack a day and each of these 20 cigarette represents a different ritual. The first one in the morning might fit in with a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. The one that you light up to start your car. The one you grab to answer the phone. The two that you smoke after getting into a fight with your spouse. the unexpected extra half a pack from partying with

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-54467383332506121262008-08-17T08:56:00.000-07:002008-08-17T09:05:58.308-07:00

When we exchange our cigarettes for freedom from tobacco, often we feel deprived. I remember it was a few years after I quit and a craving seemed to overwhelm me with the thought, "How dare they take my cigarettes away from me!" I didn't know who "they" were and it only took a minute to realize what a crazy thought this was, but it shows the seductive power that nicotine can have over us. When we

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-52398917495129404892008-08-15T08:18:00.000-07:002008-08-15T08:54:14.974-07:00

As if it is hard to think of reasons to quit, this site has some new and usual reasons such as it is an excuse to play computer games, save water by having to wash your clothes less often to rid them of the smell and save trees because they are being cut to make space for tobacco plants, and one of my favorites- broaden your dating options since many non-smokers will not date a smoker. This

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-61919549848966406462008-08-11T08:30:00.000-07:002008-08-11T08:40:10.114-07:00

Jessica finally decided to quit smoking because her son and daughter in law were going to have their first child and told Jessica that she couldn't be around the child and smoke, which meant she didn't get to babysit her first grandchild.It's important to quit for yourself rather than for someone else and Jessica is at high risk of relapse if her reason for quitting disappears. What if her son

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-72553101584996545152008-08-10T23:41:00.000-07:002008-08-15T07:59:11.626-07:00

Condensed version: Most smokers start as a teenagers and if they become addicted, they become lifelong smokers and have a high risk of dying from smoking. The teen doesn't become addicted with the first cigarette but follows a path that can lead to addiction. The first step is thinking about trying a cigarette, then experimentation, a cigarette every now and then, which progresses to a regular

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-91957687616525502192008-08-09T09:21:00.000-07:002008-08-09T09:26:38.495-07:00

It was the last night of my 6 week smoking cessation workshop and we were talking about slipping and falling into relapse. One of the members had slipped because she got stuck in traffic and had an "emergency" cigarette in her car. I had said the week before that by having that "safety" cigarette handy, this person was very likely to smoke it when faced with stress. Another participant mentioned

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-58347907141712148692008-08-08T08:07:00.000-07:002010-05-16T13:29:47.551-07:00

I have been helping smokers become smoke free since 1990 and I love receiving letters like the following. It makes it all worth while: Dear V.J., Just needed to drop you a note and thank you for your support and guidance to help me stop smoking. I am "smoke free" since June 8, 2002. Sometimes I still here your voice in my head saying "Remember, you are only a puff away from a pack a day" so I

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-57648424406447422622008-08-07T09:17:00.000-07:002008-08-07T09:20:38.787-07:00

It is important to change the way you think about cigarettes. I find it sad when individuals have quit for many years but are still thinking and wanting a cigarette. wouldn't it be nice for smoking to just be a non issue in your life!The following five steps will help you work through your compulsion to smoke, not only during withdrawals but any time in the future. When a craving comes over you,

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-32840192838832990922008-08-06T07:17:00.000-07:002008-08-06T07:30:26.869-07:00

Have you ever been in a bad relationship and had it break up? There were so many things that you didn't like about the person you were involved with. But after six months, you haven't started dating anyone else and your thoughts drift back to the fond memories, you tell yourself it wasn't so bad, you had some great times together, you forget all the negative qualities and before you know it,

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-66889099666821033012008-08-05T08:22:00.000-07:002008-08-05T08:32:03.610-07:00

Many people will gain weight when they quit smoking (see previous blog for 7 Reasons Why Quitters gain weight on August 1, 2008). The reason why people will gain a large amount of weight is because they are eating more, it is not because of the small change in metabolism. Why the increase in food? For emotional reasons. We smoke when we are sad, happy, lonely, afraid, angry, stressed and for many

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-107208350060361472008-08-04T10:48:00.000-07:002008-08-04T10:58:21.024-07:00

Smoking offers the illusion of going through life with the least amount of pain and the greatest amount of pleasure. Smoking seems to lessen negative emotions and heightens positive experiences. So when a smoker quits, negative emotions seem to be worse and positive emotions, not quite as fun.Quitting smoking is like losing a best friend. In the past when experiencing stress or emotional turmoil,

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-48687996811535720572008-08-03T17:48:00.000-07:002008-08-03T17:49:50.596-07:00

It takes most smokers several quit attempts before they are finally successful at becoming smoke free. The first time, quitters usually get cocky and can't believe how easy it was to quit and they believe that they can smoke when they want, they think they can control their smoking but the changes in the structures of the brain are so strong that a momentary slip can lead to a full relapse. Often

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-46425597739478608962008-08-02T12:17:00.000-07:002008-08-04T10:58:48.043-07:00

Every smoker has heard from friends and family, "I don't know why you just don't put that cigarette down and walk away?" What these well meaning people believe is that quitting is a one time event but it's not, it's a process that a smoker moves through. It's like going on a diet. If a person needed to lose 50 pounds, no one would say, "I don't know why you just don't drop those 50 pounds right

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-59668422676796144642008-08-01T10:24:00.000-07:002008-08-01T10:36:14.930-07:00

there are 7 different reasons why smokers gain weight when they quit, most of it is because of eating more food:1. Change in metabolism accounts for 3-6 pounds. 70% of weight gain is due to increase calorie consumption.- Exercise, 20 minutes per day more than you normally do- Discuss using Zyban™ and Nicotine Replacement Products with your doctor, these medications can help reduce the amount of

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-32801810729854254152008-07-31T15:00:00.000-07:002008-08-01T10:23:52.713-07:00

I have personally quit a total of nine separate times for at least 3 months each time. This is not counting the numerous attempts of a day here or a day there. Each time I have quit, I have learned something else about how I was connected to my cigarette. The first time I quit, it seemed easy, too easy and I thought I could control my smoking. But I was wrong, I needed to learn about relapsing

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-1567586637149817032008-07-30T09:20:00.001-07:002008-07-31T14:21:26.811-07:00

For years the tobacco companies said that smoking did not cause lung cancer. We now know that smokers are at a much higher risk of developing lung cancer and about 10% of all smokers will develop the disease. About 90% of all lung cancers are in smokers. This article tells of several genetic studies that are showing certain genetic traits that may make a person more likely to become addicted to

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-90871274966880946552008-07-29T11:16:00.000-07:002008-07-31T14:20:48.927-07:00

It used to be thought that smokers developed smokers lines above their lip because of the way they dragged on the cigarette but now we know that smoking causes more wrinkles because of the lack of oxygen to the skin. Carbon Monoxide is a main component of smoke (yes the same gas coming out the tailpipe of your car-the next smoker you see, just think that they are sucking on that tailpipe and

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-77727746366462543722008-07-28T10:04:00.000-07:002008-07-31T14:19:30.233-07:00

A woman called me about signing up for my smoking cessation class which is $100. For those that this would be a financial burden, I let them make payments. As this woman was sucking on her cigarette, she said, "You don't understand, I can't afford to buy milk for my children!" I thought at the time that if she hadn't bought that pack of cigarettes, she could have paid for a carton of milk.Someone

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-7410665684420944512008-07-28T09:47:00.000-07:002008-07-31T14:18:00.328-07:00

If you have never smoked you can not understand how difficult it is to quit smoking. Yet non-smokers expect smokers to quit by sheer will power alone but smoking is a chronic relapsing medical condition, it is not simply a habit or personal choice. To be successful, smokers need a combination of medical support, behavioral modification, and new coping mechanisms for stress and strong emotions.

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-42964663562512176792008-07-27T19:45:00.000-07:002008-07-31T14:17:01.438-07:00

The State of New York enacted an additional $1.25 tax on cigarettes, making the cost of a pack anywhere from $8 to $10. This increase has seen a dramatic increase in the number of smokers looking to quit smoking but finding little help. In these shaky economic times, it is important to cut back on non-essentials and it would seem like a no brainer that cigarettes should be at the top of that

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-47770060866137915062008-07-26T10:12:00.000-07:002008-07-31T14:16:05.772-07:00

Snus is a small pouch of nicotine that is placed in the mouth between the lower jaw and cheek. The product was first introduced in Sweden and is now being imported to the United States as an alternative to smoking. It is being taunted as way to stop smoking. One tobacco company is advertising heavily to the youth market and sending out coupons for free tins of snus. Just another ploy to increase

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-50305936404814700002008-07-25T11:23:00.000-07:002008-07-31T14:26:56.505-07:00

Most smokers know that smoking can cause lung cancer but often they are not aware of all of the other health risks. Here are some problems that Kaishawn McDuffie, RN, BSN, CDE, and a certified diabetes educator has to say:1. Smoking raises your blood sugar level, making it harder to control your diabetes.2. Smoking increases your cholesterol levels and the levels of some other fats in your blood,

VJ Sleight, Queen of Quittinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01810241766347049961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3849005981620657893.post-83458446157932425102008-07-25T11:08:00.000-07:002008-08-03T17:50:52.668-07:00

Tobacco dependence is a chronic condition that often requires repeated intervention.•Chronic Disorder that is vulnerable to relapse that persists for weeks, months, years.•Requires ongoing counseling similar to diabetes, hypertension or hyperlipidemia•Tobacco dependence treatments are both clinically effective and cost effective relative to other medical and disease prevention interventions•It is

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