The treatment approach applied in smoking cessation clinic is named as “intensive clinical counseling”. Intensive clinical counseling is carried out by the physicians trained on cigarette quitting, expertise in tobacco control and certificated by Ministry of Health.

Quitting of our patients are provided by two treatment methods in Smoking Cessation Clinic;

1. Cognitive and Behavioral Methods: The physician should inform the patient about the disease risks by offering visual materials such as brochures, booklets. Non-physician healthcare staff can be helpful for improving the motivation in the process of directing the patient to a cigarette free life style which is called as cognitive and behavioral treatment. Motivation can be provided by an approach variable from person to person.

Smoking cessation follow up should be performed at least 4 interviews and each interview should be at least 10 minutes. Not smoking for 1 year means that the cigarette quitting process is completed successfully. Restarting smoking is generally occurs within the first year of quitting.

Medical treatment can be added to the motivation and support treatment of the patient according to the medical status of the patient and if convenient.

2. Medical Treatment (Pharmacotherapy): In recent guidelines as the primary group medications include;

  • Nicotine Replacement Treatments (NRT)
  • Non-nicotine including pharmacotherapy.

Trained smoking cessation clinic physician can prescribe one or more medications in necessary cases. 

 

Smoking and smoking-caused damages

Smoking is the most fatal type of social poisoning. Each cigar includes more than 400 chemical substances that cause poisoning, irritation, cancer or facilitate the emerging of cancer. It is nicotine that makes people who smoke addicted. Nicotine increases the heart beat, the arterial blood pressure and the risk of clotting of the blood. The risk of myocardial infarction among smokers is 10 times higher than non-smokers. Due to its negative effects on the blood circulation and the vessels, the risks of brain diseases, stroke and gangrene of the leg are increased. Smoking is the most frequent reason for lung diseases such as lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The rates of mortality from these diseases is 40 times higher in smokers than in non-smokers.

The risks of abortion, immature birth, giving birth with low birth weight, infertility and myocardial infarction are high among women. Smoking causes infertility and impotency in men. Smoking increases the risks of ulcers, delayed recovery, skin rash, psoriasis, cataract in the eye or loss of density in the bone, renderring it more fragile. Cancers of organs other than the lungs may also be observed.

Why does one face Difficulties in Quitting Smoking
The nicotine which is absorbed through the cheek reaches the brain in about 10 seconds. It cause a nicotine addiction in a very short time. Thereafter, your body wants to get this substance despite the fact that there is no need. 

Nicotine causes psychological and physical addiction. The body starts to feel the absence of nicotine if you do not smoke.

The feeling of nicotine absence may last for about 3 weeks, and symptoms include discomfort, insomnia, sometimes a tendency to sleep, nervousness, overreaction, constipation or concentration difficulties. These signs of abstinence may be observed in one in every three individuals, and their severity changes from individual to individual.

The point that should be considered is:
The difficulties faced by the person who quits smoking are an expected outcome of nicotine addiction. It is not related to the personality. Hence, the difficulties faced or the re-attempts at quitting must not be considered as flabbiness. You should not judge or blame yourself when you are attempting to quit.

Get ready to quit
Decide for yourself a day for quitting, be decisive and do not postpone the date.
Write down your reasons for quitting and make sure you see this note frequently. This helps your decisiveness. 
Share this decision with the people who you think may support you.
Remove all the things in your house or at work that remind you of cigarettes or smoking (such as lighters, ash trays).
Try to acquire new daily habits; for example, you may start exercise programs.
Walking, attending a gym, and allocating some time for hobbies or pleasures will help prevent smoking to come into your mind.
The symptoms of nicotine absence that compel smoking addicted people are temporary. They may compel you for at most 2 or 3 weeks.
You may quit smoking by yourself. If you cannot do this, you may benefit from the medical treatments that have proven to be valid.
These methods should be used under the supervision of a doctor, which may also increase the effects of the drugs.
The Smoking Cessation Polyclinics of our hospital can help you quit.