Second hand smoke is smoke from lit end of a cig, cigar, pipe and exhaled by smokerToxic mixture of gases & particlesContains more that 4,000 chemicals250 or more are toxic gases50 or more can cause cancer
How many of you know someone that smokes?How many of you know someone who feels trapped by their addition to cigarettes? How many of you know someone who wants to quit smoking or is trying to quit smoking?How many people know someone who has had tobacco related disease, like cancer, heart disease or COPD?
Monitored or directly funded research supporting the idea that individuals with schizophrenia were: less susceptible to the harms of tobacco andthat they needed tobacco as self-medicationPromoted smoking in psychiatric settings by: providing cigarettes and supporting efforts to block hospital smoking bans
What are some myths about smoking in the behavioral health population that you have?
Everyone knows that nicotine is the addictive ingredient in tobacco, but not everyone understands what nicotine really is and how it causes addiction. Nicotine is a poison that used to be widely used in insecticides. Drop for drop, nicotine is more poisonous than strychnine or cyanide. A toddler or pet needs to eat only 4 cigarettes to die. Nicotine poisoning is one of the most frequent reasons for calls to Poison Control CentersAsk: How many drops of pure nicotine placed on your tongue would kill you? [Note to presenter: you may wish to bring a small bottle with an eye dropper, ask someone to stick out their tongue, and pretend that the bottle contains nicotine. Then you would direct the question to the individual or to entire audience.}Answer: two drops. All chemical addictions work in the same way: each dose of the chemical activates and multiplies the brain’s receptors for that substance. When the receptors aren’t receiving the chemical, they begin to scream for another dose. Nicotine is no different. When you deprive the brain’s receptors of nicotine, over time they begin to deactivate and urges to smoke fade away. But smoking even one cigarette can activate the receptors, and the cycle of addiction can begin all over again.
Over time, people begin to associate certain activities or images with smoking. Those activities and images then begin to trigger the urge to smoke. Common triggers include ashtrays, having a drink, driving, eating, coffee, sex, talking on the phone, and seeing someone else smoke.
It’s vital to learn how to prevent slips – smoking a cigarette or two – from turning into a relapse – going back to smoking.If you do slip, avoid “all or nothing” thinking. It’s all too easy to think, “I just smoked a cigarette, I may as well smoke the whole pack.” That kind of thinking will lead you into relapse. Slipping is common in any behavior change attempt. Plan in advance what you’re going to say to yourself if you slip: “It’s only one cigarette. If I think about what made me light up, I can figure out a way to handle that in the future. I can do this. I just need to go back to my plan and not smoke again. ”.
Ask: Have any of you tried any of these products? Answer: People’s personal experience with these products will vary, just as with any other medication. It’s important to use them correctly. Always contact your health care provider with questions. Authorities recommend that all people trying to quit smoking should use effective medications. The exceptions are people who smoke less than 10 cigarettes per day, adolescents under 18 years of age, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and people with certain medical conditions. The products on the top row are available over the counter; the others require a prescription. With these medications, nicotine is absorbed more slowly and evenly than through the lungs. There will not be the instant feeling of reward that was a part of smoking. But there is enough nicotine in the replacement products to calm sensations of withdrawal.
Zyban® and Chantix® do not contain nicotine. Both are available by prescription only. Unlike nicotine replacement products, these medications are taken before quitting. Each medication works with brain chemistry in a different way to help with quitting smoking. Zyban stimulates the brain’s pleasure systems, gives the sensation of alertness & energy, and reduces withdrawal symptoms such as cravings, irritability & depressed mood. Ask your doctor if you should take Zyban along with a nicotine replacement product. Zyban is a form of the antidepressant Wellbutrin, which means the two medications should not be taken together. Chantix prevents nicotine from reaching receptors in the brain, so smoking is not as pleasurable as it used to be.
Products such as e-cigarettes, snus [pronounced snoos] and dissolvable tobacco have been developed to make it easier for people to continue to smoke, especially in areas where smoking is prohibited. E-cigarettes are now considered to be tobacco products by the FDA.
Note to presenter: Distribute information on available programs (provided by your local office). Or, you may be asked to let employees know they will receive information via their employer.