When you want to quit, there’s help available

  • Published
  • By Chris McCann
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  In 1940, it was conclusively proven that tobacco use is linked to cancer, heart disease and heart attack, and other serious health problems.

It's no secret that tobacco is harmful - but plenty of people smoke and chew anyway, for a variety of reasons.

Maybe it's to have a reason to take a break, to escape a stressful situation, or as a "treat" after a difficult task.

In the military, tobacco use seriously harms readiness - injuries take longer to heal, bone density lessens, tobacco users are more often heat and cold casualties, and tend to have lower physical fitness scores.

In 2006, the military health system spent about $564 million on tobacco-related health care costs.

In 1947, psychologist Ernest Dichter surveyed hundreds of smokers, and wrote, "Smoking is as much a psychological pleasure as it is a physiological satisfaction. As one of our respondents explained, 'It is not the taste that counts. It's that sense of satisfaction you get from a cigarette that you can't get from anything else.'"

Once a tobacco user decides it's time to quit, however, there is plenty of help available.
Nicotine replacement therapy - while it may look expensive in the pharmacy - is far cheaper than cigarettes, and there are lozenges, gum, patches, nasal sprays and other ways to get a low dose of nicotine to lower cravings, according to Smokefree.gov.
Doctors can prescribe medications for quitting as well, which may reduce cravings and ease nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

Perhaps most importantly, however, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson offers tobacco cessation support, all the way from doctors to groups of other people who are quitting.
If a person doesn't want to quit, though, all the facts and figures won't make a difference - some level of desire must be there.

"People think that when they come to the tobacco cessation class, they have to quit," said Rebecca Kleinschmidt, a health educator on JBER. "That's not true. They often think that if they go through the classes and then keep smoking, they're a failure - but they're not. On average, it takes between eight and 11 tries for a smoker to quit for good. At some point, it clicks, and they quit. But coming to the class has benefits whether you quit or not."

The tobacco cessation classes are held at the Health and Wellness Center the first through third Thursdays of the month at 8 a.m. and 12 p.m., and the first through third Tuesdays of each month at the Education Center at 12 p.m., Kleinschmidt said.
The first class is two hours long, but subsequent classes are only one hour, she explained.

In the first session, educators and physicians discuss medication possibilities for those who are interested, and a physician meets one-on-one with each student, which takes more time.

"Studies have shown that education and intervention combined with pharmacotherapy are more effective, so we make it convenient - students can leave with their medication after the first session. But they meet with a physician to make sure there are no health concerns or contraindications for it," Kleinschmidt said.

For those who are deployed or far from a class, there are online courses with groups available through a pilot program at JBER called 2BNICFREE.

"What I like about it is that students go through the modules in a group and get to "meet," Kleinschmidt said. The instructor uses a webcam, as do many students, and there are many interactive aspects to the course.

"If they miss a class, every module is recorded, so they can review it at a better time," she explained. "It's more flexible than physically being in a classroom, but you can still see faces and connect with peers."

If it's really time to quit, Kleinschmidt said, there are ways of increasing your chances of success.

"For people to be most successful, they have to branch out and use a variety of tools. There's lots of information online, things we can't even cover in class. Coming to the classes offers peer support though."

People generally go through a few stages of making a major change, Kleinschmidt said - whether it's quitting tobacco, eating more fruits and vegetables, or improving their physical fitness.

The most important stage is preparation, she said.

"In that stage, they're talking to other people who have done it, gathering information. It's a great opportunity to do a dress rehearsal - like not smoking just for one day, or using a nicotine patch to see what it's like.

"There's less pressure, and people feel free to test their options without committing. It's really important, because the longer people spend in the preparation stage, the more successful they tend to be," Kleinschmidt said.

Even if a tobacco user isn't ready to quit, just cutting back on use does reduce the health risks - especially as a precursor to quitting for good.

And since some people worry about weight gain after quitting, the HAWC has a nutrition component to the program as well.

"Often when people quit, they miss the feeling of having a cigarette, so they eat more.
"Your metabolism can slow down a little, and some people do gain weight. We have a dietitian come in to educate people and let them ask questions," she said.

For those who want to quit tobacco, the HAWC has brochures with resources both on JBER and from the Department of Defense and the Alaska State Quit Line.

For more information, call the HAWC at 552-2361.