Smoking Cessation Part 3

Vitalis Health clinician Tina Fegan was interviewed by Susan Hughes about smoking cessation. Tina has a background in medical practice including being a smoking cessation advisor for Cancer Focus for many years. In this series of blogs you will find transcriptions and a video of the engaging and fascinating interview.

Tina and Susan discussed cultural pressures such as peer pressure and cultural shifts such as the smoking ban. Tina talks about the importance of encouragement and positive thinking and how critical it is to congratulate yourself on any successes. She talks about her amazing success rate as a smoking cessation advisor.

CULTURAL ASPECTS

When you were able to quit, did that have an impact on your self esteem?

NOPE: Not One Puff Ever!

I attempted to quit 5 times. Every time I failed I went back on the cigarettes even heavier than before. One of my reasons for giving up was the smoking ban was coming in. My group of friends didn’t smoke so, especially on holiday, I was the only one. So it was becoming more anti social.

But then I fell pregnant so that was another boost for me. That was it.

There was many’s a time after I had my daughter that I thought ‘I could just have one cigarette, just one and that’d be me…’

And there’s a lot of people who are fooled by that. There’s a saying: NOPE Not One Puff Ever. Because if you smoke even one cigarette again you’re giving birth again to these nicotine receptors in your brain again.

The social aspect is part of it - on a night out, or at work. Having the smoke break. If you want a break you can go down and join the others, just don’t smoke!

You’re still the same person. I’m still Tina but I don’t smoke any more. You have to remake your identity. I loved saying ‘No I don’t smoke actually!’. It was such a proud moment.

Could you feel the benefits to stopping smoking afterwards in your body?

Absolutely. I always had a cough when I smoked and I haven’t had a chest infection since. Lots of people who have asthma who smoke, it’s exacerbated by smoking. So you will have a lot less flare ups if you quit. Even just that smell of smoke. It’s the worst smell ever. It’s so strong. When you’re a smoker you don’t even smell it!

When you smoke you’re burning away the little hairs in your nose and you’re burning off those taste buds. So when you quit then your taste buds come back. Your taste is back. Your smell is back. Food tastes nicer.

A lot of younger people won’t remember what is was like before the smoking ban. Do you think it’s a game changer? A cultural shift?

Yes a lot of people did eventually quit when it came in. It did help. But there still are a lot of young people smoking. Smoking comes from doing what your peers do, being part of the gang.

Lots start off smoking e-cigs and then get a taste for real cigarettes. You see there’s 7000+ chemicals in a cigarette…

7000???!!!?

Yes 7000. Some are cancer producing chemicals. There’s ammonia, battery fluid, rat poison, nail polish remover. You can imagine what’s that dong to the inside of you. They’ll harm everything in your body from your hair to your toenails. Causes destruction through the whole body.

So if the e-cigs are keeping you from smoking the real cigarette then that’s good. But try not to have it on you all the time. Try to keep the oil low if you’re using a nicotine based oil, reduce its strength. Treat it like a pack of cigarettes. Don’t have it on the arm of the chair. I would always ask: ‘Where do you keep your cigarettes?’ Often they’d say ‘On the coffee table.’ So I would say to them ‘as soon as we get off the phone go and put them into the drawer or in a handbag.’ Out of sight out of mind. Treat the e cig the same. Don’t keep it on you, keep it out of the road.

But I wouldn’t encourage anyone to use e-cigs. It’s about trying to stay away from all nicotine.

SUCCESS

So Tina, in your years of being a smoking cessation advisor, what success did you see?

You get your patients to 4 week, 8 week, 12 week and 52 week stops. At 4 weeks we have the first review. If they’re still off the cigarettes by then it’s a success. And after 8 weeks and onwards, even better! We measure on a year period and how many have quit. In my last practice and when I worked for Cancer Focus I was hitting in and around the 80% mark.

That’s amazing. That must be a great feeling.

Yes. There was a lady who said ‘I’m too old to stop’. She was in her late 60s. I said ‘You’re never too old to do anything’.

She said ‘I have a wee granddaughter who I’ve noticed has started smoking’. She was also worried about her health. So she gave it a go and she got her 4 weeks. And then we got to 12 weeks. And when I contacted her after a year she was still off the cigarettes! And then her granddaughter came to me and we got her off them too. She said ‘If my granny can quit, so can I!’

It’s a good feeling if you get them to through the first four weeks, that’s a major hurdle. I always say: don’t be feeling down, be positive, keep thinking ‘Oh my god I can’t believe I’m stopping smoking! My life is going to improve, my health’s going to improve, I’ll have more energy, I’m doing it because I’ve a baby on the way etc.’

So it’s always about thinking of those positives and being free.

Free of that addiction.

CONGRATULATE YOURSELF

Whenever you stop smoking you should be proud of the big life achievement. You should treat yourself with the money you’ve saved. Well done me!

Stopping smoking’s the best gift you can give to yourself and your loved ones. Getting your health back but also financially.

If you would like tailored support to empower you to live a healthier life then book an appointment in our Belfast City Centre clinic. We are open Monday - Friday and we receive patients from all over Northern Ireland from Antrim to Armagh, Banbridge, Derry, Rostrevor, Strabane, Coleraine, Portstewart, The Moy, Omagh, Enniskillen, Portaferry and Downpatrick. We can offer same day or next day appointments to suit your busy schedule. Our doctors and clinicians are highly experienced and empathetic.