Smoking Cessation Program

The number one preventable cause of early disease and death of American Indian and Alaska Native People.

 

 

Smoking kills 435,000 people in the United States every year

Fifty percent of all smokers will die of a smoking related disease, robbing them of 10 to 15 years of life. It isn’t just the early death that is a problem with smoking, but the quality of life for those developing a smoking related disease. Smoking related diseases can make people unhealthy for 5 to 20 years before they die.

 

 

The primary diseases caused by smoking are:

1. Heart Attack
2. Stroke
3. Emphysema
4. COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
5. Cancer - Lung, Throat, Uterine, Stomach, Bladder (According to the U.S. Surgeon General tobacco use is a causal effect for all cancers.)

 

 

The Benefits of Quitting Smoking

The good news is that diseases from smoking and tobacco can be prevented or arrested in their development by quitting all forms of tobacco use. Susan Dillon, a Puyallup Tribal member, has found a new life since she quit smoking four years ago.

 

 

PTHA Quit Tobacco Program

The Puyallup Tribal Health Authority offers a one-on-one personalized program to help people quit smoking and chewing tobacco.

 

Seventy-five percent of the participants that complete the program are tobacco free at the end of the first year.

 

Nicotine, the addictive ingredient in tobacco products, can cause people to have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, like being irritable, when they quit. The Quit Tobacco Program helps participants minimize withdrawal symptoms and helps them develop new skills for living life without smoking or chewing tobacco. Making an appointment is the first step to quitting.

 

 

First Appointment:		Follow-Up Appointments:
This appointment takes 60 minutes At the appointment you will: Learn about nicotine addiction Explore triggers and coping strategies Learn about medication options Be screened for medications Develop a quit plan If deciding to use medications you may receive them at the first appointment or second appointment.		Eight 20-minute appointments At these appointments you will: Review triggers and coping strategies Learn tools to help with cravings Assess problem areas and learn skills for solving problems. Work on stress management, nutrition, exercise and weight management Set goals for the next two weeks Assess for problems with medications and receive refills if appropriate

 

 

Cessation Medications

Nicotine Patches, Nicotine Gum, Nicotine Lozenges (NRT) provide nicotine while you work on the behavior part of tobacco use addiction.  Bupropion is an anti-depressant used to help people quit smoking. It helps curb the desire and is usually used with NRT.  Chantix is a medication to help curb the desire to smoke and is used without NRT.

 

To make an appointment for the PTHA Quit Tobacco Program, call 253-593-0232, ext 513

 

For other Pierce County resources for quitting tobacco use go online to:

Tacoma Pierce County Health Department

You can also call the WA State Quit Line @ 1-800- QUITNOW or go to the website, www.quitline.com

 

 

Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke is the smoke that comes from the burning end of a cigarette, cigar or pipe. Secondhand smoke causes the same diseases as active smoking and is the cause of 50,000 deaths in the United States every year.

 

Secondhand smoke exposure is dangerous for unborn babies, causing:

1. Premature birth
2. Still birth
3. Low birth weight
4. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

 

Secondhand smoke is dangerous for young children, causing:

1. Ear infections
2. Asthma
3. Pneumonia
4. Bronchitis

 

The best way to protect your unborn baby and child from the damaging effects of secondhand smoke is to quit smoking.

 

If you are not ready to quit now you can take steps to protect your children:

1. Make your car and home smoke free.
2. When you smoke, wear a hat over your hair and a smoking jacket that does not come in contact with your children. 
3. When you come in from smoking outside, wash your hands and face before interacting with your children.

 

Other Tobacco Products

Chew and Snuff are NOT safe alternatives to smoking. They cause:

1. Tooth decay
2. Gum disease
3. Heart disease
4. Mouth cancer
5. Throat cancer
6. Stomach cancer

 

If you chew or use snuff, be sure to tell your doctor and your dentist so they can check your lips and gums for early warning signs of cancer.

 

There is no such thing as a safe smoke. Cigars, pipes, bidis, cloves and herbal cigarettes cause the same diseases as cigarettes.

 

Cigars cause cancer even if you don’t inhale. Cigar smokers are four to ten times more likely than non-smokers to die of cancer of the mouth and throat. Smoking one cigar is like smoking three to ten cigarettes.

 

One bidi contains three times the amount of nicotine found in a cigarette. Bidis produce five times the amount of tar as a regular cigarette and produce more carbon monoxide.

 

Pipes are not safer than cigarettes. Smoking a pipe increases the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke by 30% compared to cigarette smoking. Pipe smokers have an increased risk of dying from many types of cancer as well, including lung cancer. Don’t be fooled by what you find on the internet about pipe smoking. Most of the web sites are sponsored by the tobacco companies.