Support is Available!

If you're thinking about trying to quit or cut back on your use of tobacco, The Community Health Collaborative and Health Services offer a number of programs to support you in successfully acheiving your goals.

• Smoking Cessation Counseling is available for free from both Health Services and Community Health.
• Reimbursement for Over the Counter Quitting Aids Just bring in your receipt and we'll reimburse you for 50% of your purchase of nicotine patches or nicotine gum.
• Prescription Quitting Aids Some medications have been shown to help with quitting, including buproprion/wellbutrin and zyban. These can be prescribed at Health Services.
• Accupuncture is available at Health Services and is covered by the student health insurance!
• Free Giveaways at Community Health to help you on your way, including an herbal tincture to help with cravings, and an "X-pack" full of useful tips, silly putty, toothpicks, and prize drawings after a week smoke-free!

Tips to Help You Quit or Cut Back

• Set a quit (or cut back) date and make a commitment to stick to it.
• Identify your motivations for quitting/cutting back and frequently remind yourself of them (leave yourself notes, etc).
• Get support from others … maybe a quitting buddy?
• Avoid being around people who are smoking, or ask them not to smoke around you.
• Know what situations trigger cravings, and actively plan how to avoid or deal with these situations.
• Give yourself rewards for not smoking.
• Take care of yourself: sleep, eat well, and exercise.

Physiological Effects of Quitting Smoking

• Within 20 minutes, the heart rate slows
• Within 12 hours, carbon monoxide in blood returns to normal level
• Within 2 weeks to 3 months, lung functions improve and risk of heart attacks declines
• Within 1 to 9 months, coughing and shortness of breath are reduced
• Within 1 year, the risk of a heart attack is half that of a smoker's
• Within 5-15 years, the risk of stroke is the same as a non-smoker
• Within 10 years, the risk of lung cancer is half that of a smoker's
• Within 15 years, the risk of a heart attack equals a non-smoker's

Web Support and Information

• Make Smoking History
• Quitnet
• The American Lung Association
• Nicotine Anonymous
• Your Total Health