What is Smoking Cessation?
Smoking cessation is the process of quitting tobacco use with professional medical support to maximize your chances of success. Tobacco use—including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and smokeless tobacco—is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, responsible for nearly half a million deaths annually. Nicotine is highly addictive, making quitting difficult despite strong motivation. However, with appropriate support, medications, and behavioral strategies, successful quitting is achievable. Smoking cessation services include assessment of your tobacco use and readiness to quit, development of a personalized quit plan, prescription of cessation medications, counseling on behavioral strategies, and ongoing support through the quitting process. Your primary care provider serves as your partner in this challenging but life-changing endeavor, providing evidence-based treatment that significantly increases quit rates compared to attempting to quit without assistance.
Why is it Important?
Quitting smoking is the single most important action you can take to improve your health, regardless of how long you've smoked. Smoking damages nearly every organ in your body, causing lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, stroke, other cancers (mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, stomach, cervix), peripheral artery disease, reduced fertility, complications during pregnancy, and weakened immune system. The health benefits of quitting begin immediately: within hours, your carbon monoxide levels normalize and circulation improves; within weeks, lung function increases and coughing decreases; within months, your heart disease risk starts declining; after one year, your heart attack risk is cut in half; after several years, your stroke risk approaches that of nonsmokers; after 10 years, your lung cancer risk is roughly half that of continuing smokers. Quitting improves breathing, increases energy, enhances sense of taste and smell, saves money, protects family members from secondhand smoke exposure, and sets a healthy example for children. For people with chronic diseases like diabetes or heart disease, quitting dramatically reduces complication risk. Despite these benefits, nicotine addiction makes quitting extremely difficult—most smokers require multiple quit attempts before achieving long-term success. Professional support approximately doubles your chances of successfully quitting compared to going cold turkey. Your provider can prescribe FDA-approved medications like nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion, or varenicline that reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, making the quitting process more manageable.
What to Expect
Your smoking cessation journey begins with an honest discussion about your tobacco use: how much and how long you've smoked, when you smoke most (particularly first cigarette of the day, which indicates addiction severity), previous quit attempts and what caused relapse, your motivation to quit, and concerns about quitting such as weight gain or withdrawal symptoms. Your provider will assess your readiness to quit—understanding that successful quitting requires genuine commitment—and help you set a specific quit date, typically within the next two weeks. You'll develop a personalized quit plan addressing your specific triggers and challenges. Your provider will prescribe cessation medications unless contraindicated—options include nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum, lozenges, nasal spray, or inhaler that provide controlled nicotine to ease withdrawal), bupropion (an antidepressant that reduces cravings), or varenicline (blocks nicotine's effects in the brain). Combination therapy, such as nicotine patch with shorter-acting nicotine gum or lozenges for breakthrough cravings, increases success rates. You'll receive counseling on behavioral strategies including identifying and avoiding triggers, developing alternative coping mechanisms for stress or boredom, seeking support from family and friends, removing tobacco products from your home and car, and using resources like quitlines (1-800-QUIT-NOW) or smartphone apps. Your provider schedules frequent follow-up contacts, especially during the first weeks after your quit date when relapse risk is highest, to provide support, adjust medications, and address challenges. If you slip and smoke, this doesn't mean failure—your provider helps you learn from the experience and renew your commitment rather than giving up entirely.
How to Prepare
Before your cessation appointment, track your smoking patterns for several days, noting when you smoke, what triggers each cigarette, and how strong the urge is. This identifies high-risk situations you'll need strategies to handle. Calculate how much money you spend on tobacco—this powerful motivator can be redirected to rewarding yourself for quitting milestones. Make a list of your personal reasons for wanting to quit, whether health concerns, family considerations, financial savings, or other motivations—reviewing this list helps maintain commitment when quitting gets difficult. Consider what concerns you most about quitting (withdrawal symptoms, weight gain, stress management without cigarettes) so you can discuss these specifically. Think about previous quit attempts: what helped you quit, and what triggered relapse? These insights inform your current quit plan. Identify potential sources of support—friends, family members, online communities, or counseling resources. Check your insurance coverage for cessation medications and counseling, as many plans now cover these services fully under preventive care provisions. If you live with smokers, discuss your quit plan with them ahead of time and ask for their support, ideally by not smoking around you or in your home. Begin thinking about alternative coping strategies for situations when you typically smoke, such as taking a walk when stressed instead of smoking. Don't reduce smoking before your quit date thinking it will make quitting easier—this often makes cigarettes more precious psychologically. Instead, maintain your usual pattern until your designated quit date, then stop completely.
Have questions about smoking cessation? Contact Advanced Cardiovascular Specialists & Primary Care at (203) 334-2100 to schedule your appointment.
