Make 2011 your year to stop smoking

I recently drove behind a smoker who was puffing at his cigarette. A pedestrian at the stop light asked him for a cigarette. The driver was apparently smoking the last one he had and offered it to the pedestrian. The pedestrian crossed the busy road to get the half-smoked cigarette. He looked so grateful and immediately started to puff voraciously at the stick.

I thought about the immense kindness of that driver to give the pedestrian his only cigarette but then I wondered, "Is sharing a cigarette with someone an act of kindness?"

Smoking may be the single most health-damaging activity that an individual undertakes. It is the leading preventable cause of premature death in most countries. The most important thing a smoker can do to live longer is to stop smoking. Smoking tobacco is an addiction which is difficult to shelve. However, with every smoke-free day, the chances of remaining smoke-free in the long term increase drastically.

Anti-smoking products

Some doctors wait until smokers cut down their daily consumption to about six cigarettes before they begin treatment with smoking cessation aids. The smoking cessation aids cannot stop you from smoking or make you want to stop or make quitting easy, but they can ease the symptoms of withdrawal, boost your confidence and reduce the urge to smoke. Here are some cessation aids:

Varenicline tablets

Varenicline (Champix) users who are motivated to quit are generally more likely to succeed. Ideally, the doctor starts the smoker on varenicline about two weeks before the date he or she plans to quit. The smoker usually starts on a low dose of varenicline tablets, then moves up to higher doses over the next 12 weeks. An additional 12 weeks of therapy may help the smoker avoid relapse.

Nicotine-replacement products

These products replace some of the nicotine in smoking to ease withdrawal symptoms. To take nicotine replacement, you must stop smoking completely. Although there are six forms of nicotine replacement available worldwide, in Jamaica we only have the nicotine chewing gum (Nicorette) available in few pharmacies. It delivers a higher dose of nicotine more quickly than the other forms of replacement, so the user gets a quick fix for cravings. It is normally used for two to three months.

Bupropion tablets

Bupropion (Wellbutrin) was originally used for depression but was found to help smokers quit. It reduces the desire to smoke and helps relieve some unpleasant symptoms experienced when smoking. Bupropion tablet is available only with prescription. Treatment lasts about eight weeks. You can smoke cigarettes for the first week of bupropion treatment while the tablets start to work.

Dahlia McDaniel is a pharmacist and final-year doctoral candidate in public health at the University of London; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.