Your health with Pharmacist Advice

Quit Smoking Tips

It is important that you discuss a “Quit Plan” with your customers enquiring about giving up smoking so you can assist them in becoming a “successful quitter”.

Step One – Deciding to Quit

Your customer needs to make a conscious decision to quit smoking. Quitting smoking to satisfy family and friends is generally not a good enough reason to quit.

Some benefits of stopping smoking include:

  • Increased confidence
  • Improved fitness
  • Saving money
  • Improved senses of smell and taste
  • Better appearance
  • Improved fertility

Step Two – Understanding Triggers

People smoke for various reasons as follows:

  • Emotional Factors – feeling stressed, upset, anxiety, angry, frustrated or happy can all cause people to smoke
  • Social Pressure – feeling part of the crowd, smoking and drinking socially with friends
  • Habit – feeling used to completing activities while smoking
  • Addiction – to satisfy the craving for nicotine

Avoiding triggers and finding alternatives during this period will help your customers resist cravings

Step Three – Plan and Prepare

Quit checklist

  1. Smokers need to set a date to stop smoking and they need to inform their families and friends of this.
  2. Throw out ashtrays and all cigarettes to avoid temptation.
  3. Stock up on healthy snacks.
  4. Plan activities to keep occupied.

Encourage your customers to avoid situations whereby they may be tempted to smoke.

Step Four – Consider NRT and Support Services

There is a link between the amount of support quitters get and the likelihood of them staying a quitter. There are many options that your customer can consider to assist them eg: Nicotine patches, Nicotine chewing gum, Nicotine lozenges, Nicotine micro tabs or Nicotine inhalers

Step Five – Quit

On the nominated quit day ensure your customers stop smoking completely and commence NRT they have chosen.

When quitters feel the urge to smoke suggest they need to do something else; go for a walk.

Cravings will be the strongest in the first week and then they will gradually subside.

Quitters need to eat healthy and drink plenty of water. Make your customers aware that they need to avoid substituting one unhealthy addiction for another so they should try and avoid caffeine, alcohol, fatty foods, and sweets.

Remember to give your customers written information from Self Care and or Healthpoint that they can take home for their reference.

Support Services for your Customers

Nicabate offers free access to the Committed Quitters (CQ) programme which will provide personalised service and advice to quitters seven days a week.

For additional product information on Nicabate visit www.nicabate.com.au

Nicorette provides a support service called “Steps to Success Support Plan”. This includes reminders and constant support through the quitting process.

For additional product information on Nicorette visit www.nicorette.com.au

Quit Australia has a Quitline (phone 131848) and a website (www.quit.org.au) for advice and support.

Information regarding the National Tobacco Campaign can be found through the department of Health and Aging (Population Health Office (02) 6289 1555) or online at www.quitnow.info.au. This website contains graphic images that may offend some people.

Overcoming Customer Objections to Quitting Smoking

We have all probably heard the excuses our customers have for not stoping smoking. Below are a few of them and ideas as to how you may be able to overcome their objections.

I need to smoke in order to relax and deal with stress.

There are many alternative options you can adopt to relax and relieve stress so give this a thought, for example going for a walk, yoga, catching up with friends, reading, listening to music

I know people who smoked all their life and they lived to a ripe old age.

We do hear stories like these however in reality the statistics are against you. One in two smokers dies prematurely with half of them in middle age. I guess these people may have lived even longer if they had not smoked.

I only smoke a few cigarettes, say 6-8 cigarettes a day.

Unfortunately there is no safe level of smoking and every single cigarette you smoke is doing you damage. It is estimated that regular smokers can lose around 11 minutes off their life with every cigarette they smoke.

I’m worried that if I stop smoking I will put on weight.

This is a common concern however the reality is that not all smokers gain weight when they quit. If people do gain weight, the gain is usually small, less then 2 kilos. If you are concerned about weight gain, remember to exercise regularly and eat sensibly while you are quitting. If you do happen to feel hungrier than usual then select healthy snacks and nibbles, like fruit to eat.

I just smoke socially and don’t smoke every day therefore I don’t need to think about quitting.

Smoking is a known addiction and can be divided into three parts – physical, habit, and feelings. Just because you do not smoke on a daily basis you will still experience habits and feelings that are associated with smoking which does make you a smoker.

I don’t want to get depressed.

Quitting smoking can make you feel a lot more in control because you personally have the control and not the nicotine. It is important to reward yourself – you can use the money you’ll save by quitting smoking to do this. If you are concerned about getting depressed would you like to talk to our pharmacist about this

I’m not ready to quit yet because of the stress from moving house/new job/relationship.

So what you are telling me is now is not the best time for you to quit however don’t keep putting it off. You need to set your quit date even if it is a one or two away.

I have my smoking under control and can give up any time I want. I like smoking and do not want to quit right now.

Have you considered looking at what smoking actually does to you and how it affects the people around you? Perhaps quitting sooner rather than later will be better for your health. It is also an interesting exercise to calculate how much money smoking is costing you, perhaps by giving up you may be able to take that holiday or buy that thing you have always talked about.

I won’t be able to deal with withdrawal

You are correct, nicotine is an addictive drug therefore you may experience some withdrawal symptoms when you quit smoking. These symptoms are only temporary and there is support available to help you get through them, for example Nicotine Replacement Therapy.

Companion Sales

Following are some recommendations you can suggest to your customers to assist them in giving up smoking:

  • Nicotine Replacement Therapy
  • New Toothbrush
  • Mouth Washes
  • Breathe Fresheners
  • Weight loss products
  • Calorie counter books
  • Healthy snack foods
  • Pedometers
  • Multivitamins, Berocca and Vitamin C