Becoming a quitter
A new research project exploring student learning in an interprofessional, student and resident-led Smoking Cessation Program (SCP) in the School of Pharmacy’s Medication Therapy Services Clinic teaches smokers that sometimes it’s okay to be a quitter.
Dr. Leslie Phillips, co-principal investigator and associate dean of undergraduate studies, described the project as “a qualitative study allowing pharmacy students and psychiatry residents to work together in two-person teams to provide a smoking cessation service to individuals who are either referred or self-referred to the SCP.”
It’s a real-world teaching and learning experience.
Public health impact/saving health care dollars
Newfoundland and Labrador continues to have one of the highest smoking rates in Canada. Perhaps more concerning, the rate of smoking in mental health populations is not declining and one in every two individuals with mental illness continues to smoke.
“Mental health and smoking are linked,” said Dr. Phillips. “Individuals with mental illness are far more likely to smoke and to smoke more heavily because nicotine releases a feel good chemical in the brain. Unfortunately, that means they are at higher risk of smoking-related health consequences, most notably premature death. We know that quitting smoking not only prolongs life expectancy, it actually reduces anxiety and depression in the long run.”
Other health consequences of smoking include:
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Asthma
- Emphysema
- Cancer
- Sudden Infant Death syndrome
- Premature aging
It’s astounding to think of what could be prevented by eliminating the single most preventable cause of premature death and disease in the country.
“Forty percent of cancers in the USA are now linked to tobacco use,” said Dr. Phillips. “There is no safe level of smoking. Every 10 minutes two Canadian teenagers start smoking, one of them will lose their life because of it, and every 11 minutes a Canadian dies as a consequence of smoking.”
The quit journey
Memorial’s quit program is unique because it offers both counselling and quit medication – the combination that has shown the best success rates – and compliments other quit smoking services in the community.
“We work with each smoker to develop an individualized quit plan that best suits their needs,” said Dr. Phillips. “Many factors have to be considered when customizing a quit plan, such as an individual’s past experiences and preferences, their current medical conditions and medications and the availability of health insurance when recommending the best quit medication for an individual. Some of the quit medications can interfere with other medications a person may be taking, so these factors would prevent the quit medication from being effective. We also provide tips on how to manage triggers and nicotine withdrawal, ensure patients use their quit medications appropriately and monitor their use for efficacy and tolerability”
Most smokers do not quit permanently on the first attempt, but Dr. Phillips encouraged that this should not be a deterrent for those thinking of signing up.
“On average smokers take between five to seven attempts before they are successful. But every quit attempt brings them one step closer to quitting for life!”
Smokers can self-refer to the study by visiting the Smoking Cessation Program website and completing and faxing the referral form or by contacting Dr. Stephanie Chesser.