9/19/2007 - Smoke-Free Life - A Closer Look at the Latest Weapon in the War Against Smoking - Dr. John Hodgkin

Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of avoidable death in the United States, leading to approximately half a million deaths each year. It is the cause of about 90% of deaths from lung cancer and emphysema and 30% of deaths from heart attacks, strokes and other cancers. And while most everyone is aware of the dangers of smoking to some degree, and may well have the desire to leave the habit behind, quitting can often be quite a complicated issue.

There are many and varied new therapies and techniques constantly being brought to market to help smokers break the habit. The latest weapon in the war against smoking, Chantix, is billed as an effective way for smokers to kick the habit without resorting to taking nicotine in other forms. This drug, varenicline tartrate, acts at sites in the brain affected by nicotine to do two things: It mimics the effects of nicotine to help stave off cravings and, when used with nicotine, it blocks some of the reinforcing, pleasurable effects of smoking. It is not a nicotine replacement.

A major concern with the introduction of Chantix to help people quit smoking, is that physicians will order the medicine but fail to provide the comprehensive support needed to help a person be permanently successful. The approved course of Chantix treatment is 12 weeks, but longer treatment may be warranted to help some smokers. And as a part of this treatment, counseling is highly recommended. While Chantix may seem like a panacea – and plays to our nation’s quick-fix mentality – it definitely isn’t for everyone.

When a smoker attempts to quit, with no support, e.g. without the aid of counseling and medications, the failure rate is close to 90% at the one year mark. The success rate is markedly improved with a comprehensive, individualized program.

At the St. Helena Center for Health’s Smoke-Free Life program, we take a very serious approach to helping participants to succeed permanently. The culmination of 38 years of experience, coupled with incorporating the latest scientific advances in the field of tobacco dependence, this one-week residential program provides education, counseling, nutrition advice, behavior modification strategies, exercise, spiritual support, and the selection of the most appropriate medication for each individual.

One of the newest enhancements in our program is the ability to measure blood or urine nicotine and cotinine levels in those using nicotine medications (patches, gum, lozenges, nasal spray, and the oral inhaler). This provides an objective measurement to help assure that the person is not experiencing uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms due to the loss of nicotine when an individual stops smoking.

There are definitely drug therapies, when administered correctly, and with appropriate support, that can make the process much easier to bear – and thereby create a better chance for long-term success. The important message is that no matter the claim of the newest therapies to come down the pike, it is always important to delve into those claims a bit more deeply before accepting their potential effectiveness. There is rarely a “quick fix” – but the right levels of support can certainly make the end result achievable.