Cessation

    

South Dakota QuitLine:
You can quit tobacco. We can help.

If you've clicked on this site, there's a good chance that you've tried to quit tobacco before. On your own. Maybe even more than once. Did you know there's free coaching from the South Dakota Department of Health? Coaching has been shown to double your likelihood of success! Here's how the South Dakota QuitLine can help. You'll get access to:

  • Free professional advice
  • Free quitting tobacco workbooks and materials.
  • Discounts on nicotine replacement products
  • Referral to local cessation services, if requested

When you call, your "quit coach" will help you create a personal plan to help you stop. Your coach will also schedule coaching sessions that are convenient for you. All by phone! And QuitLine staff will follow up at six and twelve months. It works. And it can work for you. Or someone you love.

Be a Quitter.

Research shows tobacco users are two times more likely to quit tobacco with coaching.
Call the toll-free South Dakota QuitLine at

1-866-SD-QUITS
(1-866-737-8487).

SD Relay/TTY:
1-800-877-1113. 

Coaching assistance available:
8 AM-8PM, M-F
10 AM-2 PM, Sat

Help the Ones You Love
When you quit smoking you also improve the health of those around you - family, friends and coworkers. Secondhand tobacco smoke is a known cancer-causing agent  to non-smokers and a trigger for asthma and heart attacks. Secondhand smoke is also linked with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia in young children. These illnesses can be costly because of hospitalization, clinic visits, medications, and time away from work.

Not a Safe Alternative.
Spit, also known as chewing tobacco or snuff, is not safer than smoking.
Spit contains some of the same harmful chemicals that are found in cigarettes.
A pinch of tobacco held in your mouth for 30 minutes delivers as much nicotine as three to four cigarettes.

Avera St. Luke’s Cessation Classes
Avera St. Luke’s Hospital of Aberdeen will be offering weekly tobacco cessation classes. The classes at held on Monday evenings from 7-9 pm for seven weeks. The next class begins September 11 and runs through October 23. Cost per participant will be $65. There needs to be a minimum of 18 participants to hold the classes. All sessions will be in a group setting with some time spent in smaller groups. The curriculum being used for the class is from the American Lung Association.
For more information please contact Jan Reich at 622-5109.

How to Help a Friend
Okay, here's the deal. You have a friend who wants to quit smoking and you're wondering just what you can do to help. Listen up. You can make a big difference and here are a few ideas how.

  • Be Understanding - Hardly any smoker says they're ready to quit "first thing tomorrow." In fact, there are actually several stages a smoker goes through. And in most cases there's a lot of time between "getting used to the idea," "getting ready to do it" and actually "getting serious." Just let them know you care, whatever stage they're in. But don't nag or pressure them - it could backfire.
  • Be Proactive - Keep in mind that your friend is the one who needs to make the decision - but that doesn't mean you can't do a little homework. Scope out some of the cessation programs available on-line or in your community. Do some research on quitting. Then, when the subject comes up, you'll be ready, willing and able to lend a hand.
  • Be Supportive - When they do decide to take the plunge, be supportive. Chances are, the withdrawal symptoms may turn them into someone you don't even want to hang with! They may be cranky, anxious or just plain difficult. But hang in there, the symptoms will pass - usually in a few days. And remember, don't take the emotional ups and downs personally - they are not your fault.
  • Be Thoughtful - If you smoke, try not to smoke around your friend. When you do things together, suggest doing an activity that doesn't include smoking and try hanging out in places where smoking is not allowed, like malls, movie theaters or restaurants.
  • Be There - Helping your friend to stay tobacco-free can be a challenge. It's a fact, lots of people trying to quit will relapse. The thing to remember is to not come down too hard on them. Just remind them of the reasons they wanted to quit in the first place, the progress they've made so far and encourage them to try again if they relapse. Bottom line, just be there for them.

Taken from http://www.tobaccofreeu.org/student_involvement/help_a_friend.asp

So you are ready quit but you wonder if it will work this time? Follow this link and take the stop smoking quiz. It matches your smoking habits with the best cessation method for you.
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_13x_Smoking_Habits_Quiz.asp?sitearea=&level=


Here are some helpful tips on how to quit: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/how2quit.htm

  • Within 20 minutes after you smoke that last cigarette, your body begins a series of changes that continue for years.
  • 20 minutes after quitting, your heart rate drops.
  • 12 hours after quitting, carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
  • Two weeks to 3 months after quitting, your heart attack risk begins to drop.
  • Your lung function begins to improve, 1 to 9 months after quitting.
  • Your coughing and shortness of breath decrease, 1 year after quitting.
  • Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s, 5 years after quitting.
  • Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker’s 5-15 years after quitting.
  • 10 years after quitting, your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker’s and your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases.
  • 15 years after quitting, your risk of coronary heart disease is back to that of a non-smoker’s.

Taken from: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_2004/posters/20mins.htm

ATTENTION SPIT TOBACCO USERS HERE IS HOW TO QUIT THE SPIT!

  • Set a quit date. Mark your quit day on your calendar and commit to it. Select a day at least one week away so that you have time to prepare for your life as a former tobacco user.
  • Talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor about your goal to quit using smokeless tobacco. Ask him or her for advice. Smokeless tobacco users have more success with quitting if they talk to a doctor or dentist about strategies for quitting. You and your doctor can also discuss medications such as bupropion (Zyban) that can ease withdrawal symptoms when you quit.
  • Get support. Join a support group in your area. Go online. Get help and support from people who understand what you're going through. Free resources are out there, so don't worry about a financial cost.
  • Consider nicotine replacement products. Nicotine replacement products include gum, patches and lozenges. They can ease the withdrawal symptoms you may experience.
  • Devise a plan to deal with cravings and know that cravings are typically short-lived. Drinking lots of water, eating licorice, chewing gum, going for a walk and calling a friend will help you get through them. And the cravings will go away over time.

Taken from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chewing-tobacco/CA00019
The South Dakota QuitLine is not just for smokers it is also available for spit tobacco users.
Call 1-866-SD-QUITS (1-866-737-8487) for free counseling and discounted cessation products.

 

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