Quitting Smoking - Smoking Cessation
Quitting smoking commercial tobacco is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health. This is true no matter how old you are or how long you have smoked.
Many people who smoke become addicted to nicotine, a drug that is found naturally in tobacco. This can make it hard to quit smoking.
Traditional tobacco, which is used in ceremonies in a respectful way, is not inhaled and not addictive.
Commercial tobacco products (cigarettes) on the other hand contain modified tobacco plants with chemical additives. When this highly processed tobacco burns in a cigarette, the additives turn into thousands of toxic chemicals and are highly addictive – they may cause heart disease, lung disease and cancer.
But the good news is there are proven treatments that can help you quit.
There are three FDA-approved medications available which can help you quit smoking commercial tobacco:
Nicotine patch (and other forms of nicotine replacement therapy)
Bupropion (or Wellbutrin)
Varenicline (or Chantix)
These medications can help you manage cravings, which helps you stay confident and motivated to quit.
Consolidated Tribal Health Project covers the nicotine patch, Bupropion, and Varenicline for Tribal (PRC eligible) patients.
In addition, CTHP offers counselling with one of our Licensed Behavioral Health Providers. Counselling can help you make a plan to quit smoking, and can help you prepare to cope with stress, urges to smoke, and other issues you may face when trying to quit.
Other Resources: Kick It California
