Tobacco Documents Online

of them want to quit. Thirty million Americaris have tried " who genuinely want to quit. Your doctor can adviseyou on ...and failed. In fact, 4 out of 5 smokers who try to quit fail ways to overcome the physical symptoms of smoking even short-term, and many of those who succeed short- withdrawal while dealing with yoursociaf andpsychologi- term eventually return to smoking. cal motivations for smoking. Why is it so difficult to quit smoking.:.for good? There are three factors-social, psychological, and physical-that work together to continually reinforce the smoking habit. Social factors include the need to feel part of a peer group of smokers. Psychological factors include smoking cigarettes in stressful situations. These two factors must be addressed for smoking cessation to be successful. However, nicotine dependence is a third, often unrecognized factor that can undermine a smoker's willpower during attempts to quit. Nicotine dependence is a powerful reinforcer of the smoking habit. The average smoker gets more than 120,000 "nicotine jolts" in a year, as nicotine travels to the brain within 7 seconds of a puff from a cigarette. Recent studies confirm that many smokers develop a physical dependenceon the nicotine derived from smoking cigarettes. Because the body becomes accustomed to the effects of nicotine, smokers trying to quit often experience withdrawal symp- toms. These include craving for tobacco, irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, headache, . drowsiness, and gastrointestinal disturbances. How a program can help... If you sincerely want to quit and are determined to succeed, you have to confront all three factors of the smoking habit. You shouldn't expect to overcome your problem by dealing with only one factor. Your doctor can help you with all three factors by providing you with medication to overcome nicotine withdrawal, materials that address the social and psychological aspects of smoking, and valuable counseling and follow-up. Your doctor will determine what treatment is right for you. Your doctor is the key. Merrell Dow has conducted research in the field of smoking cessation and is providing support to health professionals to increase their effectiveness in helping patients who really want to quit for good achieve smoking cessation. , If you want to quit smoking, your chances are now better than ever before. See your doctor. Follow.your doctor's advice. Once you start a quitting program, check back with your doctor to keep him or her informed of your progress. Patients who follow a program for 3 months are much more successful than those who follow one for shorter periods of time. Merrell Dow Dedicated to improving the health of Americans © 1984, Merrcll Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc. _..._...... _ . _`. __ ......... _...._._ ~ r