Smoking and Smokeless Tobacco
Alternate Names : Cigar Smoking, Cigarette Smoking, Pipe Smoking, Second-Hand Smoke, Smokeless Snuff, Tobacco Use
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Time to quit
There are a lot of methods for quitting smoking, and many resources to help you. Family members, friends, and coworkers may be supportive or encouraging, but the desire and commitment to quit must be your own.
Most people who have been able to successfully quit smoking made at least one unsuccessful attempt in the past. Try not to view past attempts to quit as failures, but rather as learning experiences.
Feel ready to quit Here are some tips:
Like any addiction, quitting tobacco is difficult, particularly if you are acting alone. If you join smoking cessation programs, you have a much better chance of success. Such programs are offered by hospitals, health departments, community centers, and work sites.
The best quit-smoking programs combine multiple strategies, including peer support and ways to overcome potential relapse situations. Counseling by telephone can be a very helpful reinforcement, even as effective as face-to-face counseling.
Short-term use of the antidepressant medication bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban), along with a quit-smoking program, may increase your success. Buproprion requires a prescription from your health provider and should not be used if you have a history of seizures or kidney failure.
If you aren't successful the first time, simply look at what occurred or what didn't work, develop new strategies, and try again. Many attempts are often necessary to finally "beat the habit."
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