Cessation

Are you ready to quit smoking or vaping?

Having a support system in place will help you on your path to becoming tobacco- or vape-free. Whether you prefer the support of a group setting, using an online service, or calling from the comfort of your own home, there’s a program that’s right for you.

What’s your reason to quit?

There are thousands of reasons to quit smoking and vaping,
and many people just need to find one. Here are a few reasons to get you started:

Here are a few reasons to get you started:

Join the majority. More than 85% of Nevadans do not smoke.
Reduce your risk for disease. One out of every two smokers will die from smoking related diseases.
Save money. The average smoker spends over $2,000 each year on cigarettes.
Live longer. Quitting reduces your risk of premature death and can add as much as 10 years to life expectancy.
Improve your health. After 15 years, the risk of developing smoking-related disease is the same as if you’d never smoked at all.

Habits are hard to break

Trying to quit is difficult for two reasons:

Physical dependence on nicotine.
Smoking triggers the release of dopamine in your brain, causing you to feel happy and calm. Your brain craves the chemical and requires more of it to achieve the same effect. This is the starting point of addiction.
Psychological dependence on routine.
Emotional addiction involves the rituals and ingrained behaviors associated with smoking. When lighting up is no longer a conscious choice, the habit is very hard to break.

Tips to manage your triggers

It’s important to identify and write down your smoking triggers and the strategies you’ll use to cope with them before you actually quit. Triggers may include:

Triggers may include:

Drinking alcohol or coffee.
The “after dinner” cigarette.
Talking on the phone.
Driving.
Study-breaks or socializing with other smokers or vape users.
Stress.
Negative or positive emotions.
Waiting or boredom.

1. Avoid the situation.
Only go to non-smoking public places. Run errands during work breaks. Leave the room when others are smoking or vaping.

2. Change your smoking or vaping routine.
Buy a brand you don’t like or put rubber bands around your pack to make you think twice before lighting up.

3. Substitute for cigarettes or vapes.
Hold something in your hand in place of a cigarette or vape. Chew gum or hard candy. Take a walk. Call a friend.

Beat the odds

The most effective long-term approach to break nicotine addiction is to create an individual quit strategy with professional help. See the Cessation Resources listed below to find the help you need.

Within 20 minutes of quitting

Within 20 minutes of smoking your last cigarette, your body begins to repair itself. The healing process continues for years:

20 minutes after quitting, your heart rate and blood pressure drops.
24 hours after quitting, the nicotine level in the blood drops to zero.
Several days after quitting, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to the level of someone who does not smoke.
One to 12 months after quitting, coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
One to two years after quitting, your risk of a heart attack drops sharply.
Three to six years after quitting, your added risk of coronary heart disease drops by half.
Five to 10 years after quitting, your added risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, and voice box drops by half and your risk of stroke decreases.
Ten years after quitting, your added risk of lung cancer drops by half and your risk of cancers of the bladder, esophagus, and kidney decreases.

If you prefer quitting from
the privacy of your own home

Nevada Tobacco Quitline

The Nevada Tobacco Quitline provides free and confidential telephone-based counseling, in either English or Spanish, for Nevada residents who want to address their tobacco use. This treatment service is delivered by counselors who are trained to treat nicotine addiction for all forms of tobacco use, including smoking, chewing tobacco, and e-cigarettes and vapes.

Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669)

Hours of operation: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; closed or closed early for some holidays

Lung Helpline

A toll-free resource for you to speak to a quit smoking specialist, a registered nurse, or a respiratory therapist about lung health questions. Translation services into 200 different languages.

Call 1-800-LUNG-USA (800-586-4872).

If you’re an adult and want the support of a group

Freedom From Smoking

Freedom From Smoking (FFS), American Lung Association’s adult cessation program, guides individuals through the quitting process with eight sessions over a 7-week period.

Based on the latest addiction and behavior change models, the program addresses the difficulties of quitting with a sensitive, supportive style. The ultimate goal is to encourage individuals to overcome their addiction and enjoy the benefits of better health.

Freedom From Smoking also offers a 6-week (9 session) online program and a self-guided workbook in English and Spanish as other options to quit.

For more information on Freedom From Smoking, or to schedule a class no matter where you are in Nevada, contact American Lung Association in Nevada at 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872).

United Health Care

This cessation program is offered at no charge to individuals covered under a United Health Care insurance plan. United also welcomes self pay individuals who are not United insured.

Health Education and Wellness Department, Tobacco Cessation Program

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (702) 877-5356.

If you’re looking to quit smoking with materials and resources in Spanish:

The Nevada Tobacco Quitline provides free and confidential telephone-based counseling, in Spanish, for Nevada residents who want to address their tobacco use. This treatment service is delivered by counselors who are trained to treat nicotine addiction for all forms of tobacco use, including smoking, chewing tobacco, and e-cigarettes and vapes.

Call 1-855-DEJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569) or 1-800-784-8669.

Hours of operation: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; closed or closed early for some holidays

If you’re looking to quit smoking with materials and resources in an Asian language:

THE ASIAN SMOKERS’ QUITLINE

The Asian Smokers’ Quitline is a free nationwide Asian-language quit smoking service operated by the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Quitline offers self-help materials, referral to local programs, one-on-one telephone counseling to quit smoking, and a free 2-week starter kit of nicotine patches. All callers will get self help materials in the specific language they require.

Services are available in Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and Vietnamese. The Quitline also provides information to friends and family members of tobacco users.

Cantonese and Mandarin: 1-800-838-8917
Korean: 1-800-556-5564
Vietnamese: 1-800-778-8440

Hours of operation: Monday- Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Pacific Time. Voicemail and recorded messages are available 24 hours a day.

If you’re a teen looking to quit smoking or vaping

Truth Initiatives EX Program

The EX Program was developed by the Truth Initiative in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center. The program has been proven to increase the odds of quitting by up to 40%.

This voluntary program teaches teens how to identify triggers, cope with cravings and replace old routines with healthier ones. Teens will be offered free, anonymous, 24/7 support throughout their quit journey.

For more information on how to join the EX Program, please visit join.exprogram.com

American Lung Association’s N-O-T for Me Program

notforme.org

quitSTART App

The quitSTART app is a free app that helps you quit smoking with tailored tips, inspiration, and challenges.

DOWNLOAD APP TODAY

Smokefree Teen

Smokefree Teen helps you plan your quit so that you can follow through. Quitting vaping can be easier when you have a plan. Find out what steps you can take to get ready to quit vaping.

Teens aged 13-17, text QUIT to 47848 to get started.

MORE INFO HERE

10 MINUTES THAT COULD
SAVE YOUR LIFE

For people who have a long history of smoking, lung cancer screening could be a lifesaving exam. Screening for lung cancer means testing for the disease, often before it may be felt with symptoms, to find a cancer earlier when it’s easiest to treat.

How is lung cancer screening performed?

The only approved screening exam for lung cancer is with low-dose computed tomography, also called low-dose CT scan or LDCT. The exam is painless and takes about 10 minutes, during which you lie on a table. The scan takes detailed x-ray images of your lungs that can then be reviewed by a physician to look for anything abnormal.

Who should be screened for lung cancer?

Lung cancer screening is only recommended for certain people with a history of smoking who:

Have a 20 pack-year or more smoking history, and
Smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years, and
Are between 50 and 80 years old.

A pack-year is smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year.

If you think screening might be right for you, talk to your doctor, who can refer you to a lung cancer screening facility.

How much does it cost?

Most insurance plans cover the cost of lung cancer screening with no cost-sharing for those who are recommended to be screened. For those who do not have insurance or whose insurance does not cover screening, LDCT can cost about $250 to $300 depending on the facility. Some locations may offer free screening or financial assistance for those who qualify.

Source: CDC