Tobacco Cessation

Reasons to quit smoking

The tobacco and tar in cigarettes affect your lungs, heart and blood vessels, eyes, bones and skin, can cause flare-ups of autoimmune diseases and can cause cancer almost anywhere in the body. One in five deaths in the U.S. is caused by smoking.

Vaping as a safe alternative?

If you know cigarettes are bad for you, you may have considered vaping as an alternative. But e-cigarettes and vapes, like cigarettes, are harmful to your health. E-cigarettes hold dangerous chemicals that damage the lungs.

Smoke-free products are not risk free. They are also very addictive. One JUUL pod can contain the same amount of nicotine as a whole pack of cigarettes.

It’s never too late to quit.

The health benefits of quitting tobacco start right away. It does not matter your age or how long you have been using tobacco. The longer you do not smoke, the more benefits. It is never too late to quit, even after a cancer or other diagnosis.

Quitting will help your treatment work better and help you feel better. It can also provide many lifestyle benefits:

• Smoking is expensive and can be hard for other people to be around
• Your family, friends and coworkers can avoid the risks of second-hand smoke
• Your better health will mean fewer missed activities and days of work

Why is it hard to quit?

The reason it’s so hard to quit tobacco is that the nicotine in tobacco products is an addictive substance. Over time, your body grows dependent on nicotine and will suffer withdrawal if you try to quit. Withdrawal symptoms include headaches, irritability, restlessness and difficulty concentrating.

Most tobacco users make many attempts to quit before they quit for good. Think of these as learning attempts, not as failures. Each time you try, you learn what worked and what did not. You only fail when you quit trying to quit.

Our Approach

We know quitting is hard. That’s why IU Health created treatment options individualized to meet your unique needs and goals.

To support our patients in their quit journey, IU Health offers the Centralized Tobacco Treatment Program. This free program is designed to give you personalized, individualized support.

As a patient in the CTTP, you will be given the opportunity to choose from a variety of support options and decide what works best for you. These options include:

Tobacco cessation counseling

During your first appointment, you will be connected to a trained Tobacco Treatment Specialist (TTS). This specialist will support and encourage you along every step of your quit journey. They will take the time to learn about your history with quitting and guide you in choosing a plan that works best for you.

You can schedule as many free phone appointments for support with your specialist as you need during your quitting journey.

Education

With so many different tools to quit smoking available, it can be hard to know which will work best for you. Our team can help you learn about the pros and cons of each tool, what to expect while you are quitting and how to identify other resources available in your area.

Pharmacotherapy

Studies have shown that use of nicotine replacement medications can increase your chance of successfully quitting by 50%. Options include patches, gum, lozenges, nasal spray, inhaler, and pills.

Have you tried one of these options before and been unsuccessful? Don’t worry—our team will help you choose the option that is right for you and provide you with tips on how to use these options to optimize your chance of success.

Referrals to specialists

If you have developed health conditions as result of tobacco use, your primary care provider can refer you to specialists such as cardiologists or pulmonologists to treat and manage these conditions. You can also be referred to other experts to help you deal with the difficulties of quitting, such as support groups or psychiatrists.