Stoptober and the subtle war against smoking

October seems to be synonymous with health campaigns, one of which is Stoptober, a challenge to smokers to give up cigarettes. TEMITOPE DAVID-ADEGBOYE writes on how to quit the habit.

Since 2012, October heralds not one but two health campaigns – breast cancer awareness and Stoptober. While many seem to be aware of the breast cancer awareness, Stoptober is not as common.

Stoptober is a public health campaign that challenges smokers to give up cigarettes for 28 days during the month of October. The premise is that after abstaining for this period of time, individuals are five times more likely to quit smoking permanently.

However, experts say, be it a teen smoker or a lifetime pack-a-day smoker, quitting can be tough!

Explaining why this may be so, Dr. Patricia Chiegboka, a clinical consultant psychologist/psychotherapist at the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospitals (NARH), Yaba, Lagos, stated that smoking tobacco is both a physical addiction and a psychological habit.

According to her, the nicotine from cigarettes provides a temporary addictive “high feeling”. Eliminating that regular fix of nicotine will cause the body to experience physical withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Because of nicotine’s ‘feel good’ effect on the brain, the smoker may have become accustomed to smoking as a way of coping with stress, depression, anxiety, or even boredom.

At the same time, the act of smoking is embedded as a daily ritual, says Chiegboka.

Her words: “It may be an automatic response to smoke a cigarette with morning coffee, while taking a break from work or school, or during a walk or drive home at the end of a long day.”

She, however, stated that with self-will and determination, smoking habit can be ditched.

To successfully quit smoking, smokers need to address both the addiction, habits and routines that go along with it.

Experts say most people quit better when they have a plan to keep themselves on track.

A good plan addresses both the short-term challenge of quitting smoking and the long-term challenge of preventing relapse. It should also be tailored to one’s specific needs and smoking habits.

The first thing to do, according to Dr. Chiegboka, is for the smoker to answer certain questions about the situation.

“The person must take time to think of what kind of smoker he/she is, which moments of his/her life call for a cigarette, and why. This will help to identify which tips, techniques or therapies that may be most beneficial for him/her.”

Vital questions
Do you feel the need to smoke at every meal?

Are you more of a social smoker?
Is it a very bad addiction (more than a pack a day)? Or would a simple nicotine patch do the job?
Do you reach for cigarettes when you’re feeling stressed or down?
Are there certain activities, places, or people you associate with smoking?
Is your cigarette smoking linked to other addictions, such as alcohol or gambling?
Are you someone who is open to talking about your addiction with a therapist or counsellor?
Are you interested in quitting?
To start a stop smoking plan, experts recommend a START programme.

S = Set a quit date
Choose a date within the next two weeks, so you have enough time to prepare without losing your motivation to quit. If you mainly smoke at work, quit on the weekend, so you have a few days to adjust to the change.

T = Tell family, friends and co-workers
Let your friends and family in on your plan to quit smoking and tell them you need their support and encouragement to stop. Look for a quit buddy who wants to stop smoking as well. You can help each other get through the rough times.

A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges
Most people who begin smoking again do so within the first three months. You can help yourself make it through by preparing ahead for common challenges, such as nicotine withdrawal and cigarette cravings.

R = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products
Throw away all packs of cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays, and matches. Wash your clothes and freshen up anything that smells like smoke. Shampoo your car, clean your drapes and carpet, and steam your furniture.

T = Talk to a doctor
A doctor can prescribe medication to help with withdrawal and suggest other alternatives. One can get over-the-counter products like the nicotine patch, nicotine lozenges, and nicotine gum.
She also recommends that smokers should identify the things that make them want to smoke, including specific situations, activities, feelings and people.
For many people, an important aspect of quitting smoking is to find alternate ways to handle these difficult and unpleasant feelings such as stress, depression, loneliness, fear and anxiety without smoking. Even when cigarettes are no longer a part of your life, the painful and unpleasant feelings that may have prompted you to smoke in the past will still remain. So, it’s worth spending some time thinking about the different ways you intend to deal with stressful situations and the daily irritations that would normally have you reaching for a cigarette.
“People shouldn’t be hard on themselves. Quitting is a process. Smokers who want to quit and have tried and failed in the past shouldn’t feel defeated because quitting is far from impossible. It is actually quite possible. There are more people out there who have successfully quit smoking than there are people who still smoke,” said Chiegboka.