Smoking: Prevention and Treatment
Smoking is a pandemic that has become a public health problem across the globe. It is a significant cause of preventable deaths. However, It is possible to treat smoking through various effective treatments that include behavioral therapies and approved medications. There are nicotine approved therapies that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Various research shows that the most effective pharmacotherapies are techniques that use both cessation medications and behavioral treatment. Similarly, interventions such as advice from health workers, self-help material, and telephone helpline can enhance smoking cessations. A personalized cessation is much more successful as it helps the patients cope with the negative withdrawal symptoms.
Behavioral Treatments
Behavioral treatments are various counseling that smoking patients go through in about four to eight sessions. Experts in smoking cessation provide the treatment. The counseling sessions can be in-person or through phone calls. Different approaches are used in behavioral treatments.
The first treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This treatment is used to help its patients determine what triggers their smoking. Similarly, it equips the patient relapse-prevention skills and coping strategies in case of stressing conditions.
The second type of treatments is Motivational Interviewing (MI) in which the counselor help their patient in determining their uncertainties with about quitting. Besides, the counselors help them in making healthy changes through motivation and are entirely patient-focused. Its purpose is to help the patient change their resistance and help them achieve self-efficacy and optimism.
Mindfulness is the third behavioral treatment. In these cessation treatments, the patient is taught how to increase awareness that would help them detach themselves from situations and cravings that would cause a relapse. The patients are taught to tackle the thoughts that trigger their cravings. They are taught how to accommodate their negative emotions without any unhealthy behaviors or going back to using tobacco.
Similarly, telephone support and quitlines is also a behavioral technique. Smoking cessation counselor offers support services and information to smokers through a toll-free number. The success rate is high when a smoker is called back for multiple counseling sessions.
The last type of behavioral counseling is through social media support and text messages. This counseling is provided through social media and mobile phones. Just the act of receiving a text message is enough to encourage a smoker to quit.
Alternatively, smoking can be treated through various medications. The most common medication is Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). NRT are different supplements that one can buy over the counter and are used for smoking cessation. The formulations include spray, gum, transdermal patch, and lozenges. NRTs have a lower percentage of nicotine and lack the other poisonous chemical found in tobacco. The purpose of NRT is to stimulate the brain receptors affected by nicotine. This helps alleviate cravings and withdrawal symptoms. NRTs are essential during the initial stages of cessation, and it improves the outcomes of the behavioral treatments.
The second type of medication is bupropion. The drug has been effective in helping patients quit smoking. It was initially used as an antidepressant.
The third drug is varenicline, which is used to lower nicotine cravings. Similarly, it blocks the reinforcing the smoking effects. It can only be purchased through a prescription.
Similarly, there are cases in which patients combine NRT with other medications. For example, using a combination of NRT and varenicline is more effective than using only varenicline. The results are also the same if NRT is combined with bupropion.
It is necessary to work on preventive measures that would help reduce the rate of smokers all over the globe. The measures should be introduced at a young age to help prevent smoking in teenagers and youths. However, preventive measures can be effective if they are policy-level measures. Policies that can be used to prevent smoking include an increased tax on tobacco. Prevention requires and stricter laws that regulate the purchase of cigarettes in terms which, when, where, and how one can buy tobacco products. This would also have people smoke in only designated spots. Similar. Putting restrictions on cigarette advertising can be used as a preventive measure. The adverting must include a health warning on the cigarette packages.
Smoking can also be prevented at the community level, and this includes schools. Educating potential smokers only on the health risks associated with smoking cannot be effective. The purpose of preventive measures is to reduce smoking and, in some cases, delay the initiation of smoking. Thus, having community-based preventive measures help in reducing the risk factors the lead to smoking in children. A person who starts smoking at an early age is likely to develop an addiction. Thus communities can use the intervention-delivery system to help prevent smoking in children. The community that Care programs work as counselors to students providing them with motivations and keeping them busy from their peers who smoke.
Smoking is a world pandemic that causes various health problems that eventually lead to death. Smoking can be treated either through behavioral treatments or medications. However, prevention of smoking is critical, especially at a young. Preventive measures can either be community-based on policy-based, and they can help in achieving a smoking-free world.