Motivation to Change: A tobacco user must be ready to make changes. Tobacco is a big part of daily living for a smoker or a dipper. Thought should be given to filling the time one takes to smoke or dip with other more productive behaviors.

Medication: There are now three categories of drugs that can assist the tobacco user with quitting:
 

• Nicotine replacement products: these administer nicotine through different flavors and doses of gum, lozenges, patches, inhalers and nasal sprays (latter two available via prescription only)
• Zyban (buproprian): is the same as the antidepressant, Wellbutrin. The mechanism of action is not understood but its use in quitting tobacco relates to the effect it has on tobacco, i.e. cigarettes do not taste as good, the smoker does not crave tobacco or the tobacco does not have the same effect. This is available by prescription only.
• Chantix is the most recent smoking cessation drug on the market. It is a nicotine receptor blocker and literally blocks the nicotine from getting to the pleasure center of the brain.  This is available by prescription only.

Telephone Assistance

There are multiple sources for help you to quit smoking. Many medications have an accompanying program. Each state has their own quit line. In Tennessee, the telephone number is (800) 784-8669.

Online Information

The Center for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov or the National Institute for Health at www.nih.gov.

Group Support

American Lung Association or the American Cancer Society - look for contact telephone numbers in your local area. There is also a Nicotine Anonymous Group that meets in Nashville every Thursday evening. For more information regarding this group, please call (615) 370-8413.

The Dayani Center's Smoking Cessation and Prevention Program is also a very valuable smoking cessation class. To sign up for a class or for more information, please call the front desk at (615) 322-4751.