You may want to stop smoking but it is not as easy as some may sound it to be. Cigarettes provide nicotine, an essential chemical, to our brain, causing an addiction…
A woman walked into my clinic with a curious mix of aromas. I could smell garlic, chewing gum and a pleasant floral scent. I think she saw my questioning look because she said, “Doctor, it’s a secret. Don’t tell my husband but I’ve started smoking again a week ago.” She had stopped for a whole year. At a meal with colleagues, she indulged in a “social smoke” and started buying cigarettes again.
It’s a familiar story with many, which is why the saleslady at my local bakery likes to say: “It’s best if you never start!” with a knowing nod.
Recent studies show that 20% of people in Malta are smokers with men being more likely to smoke than women. While Malta is slightly above the EU average, numbers have remained consistent during the last ten years when compared to a steady decrease across European countries. Fortunately, the opposite seems to be true with teenagers who are becoming less likely to take up smoking (see reference), heeding my favourite shop assistant’s advice.
We all know that cigarettes are packed with tar and a concoction of poisonous chemicals. Several public health campaigns have been very effective in informing us about the negative effects of smoking, including lung cancer and heart disease. Other less known consequences are ageing of the skin, discolouration of teeth and bladder cancer. They also cause havoc within the circulatory system, which means that it’s more likely to get strokes, thromboses and kidney troubles.
It’s an expensive habit. One that’s not easy to get rid of. At an average of €5.50 per packet, a pack-per-day smoker would be spending €38.50 a week, €165 a month, and €2,007 a year. Some like putting the money they would have spent on cigarettes aside and buy something for themselves periodically. You can eat out at your favourite restaurant weekly, get a full massage once a month, or even go on a skiing holiday after a year’s savings.
So, you want to stop smoking? Where do you start?
We’ve all heard stories of people who crushed their current pack, threw it away and never looked back. Admirable, true, and it requires plenty of resolve. However, the rest of us need some more support to quit.
It’s so difficult to give up smoking because cigarettes provide our brains with an essential chemical – nicotine.
Non-smokers still have nicotine swirling inside their system; it’s just produced by the brain itself. Once the brain detects it’s getting nicotine from outside, it stops producing its own – the body is great at not wasting resources. That’s when you start relying on your next puff, so it’s no wonder smoking is such a difficult habit to stop. The brain needs to catch up that it won’t be receiving more nicotine from cigarettes and it will have to restart production again.
A trick you can use to cheat your brain into thinking it’s getting its usual supply is removing a cigarette from your pack in the morning. So if you usually smoke 20 cigarettes daily, take out one and put it aside. Keep doing this for two weeks. On the third week, remove two cigarettes. Continue this until none are left. It gives the body time to realise what’s happening and restart its own production of nicotine.
Do you want to stop smoking? The Primary Healthcare Department in Malta carries out regular smoking cessation classes. Many have found them to be very useful.
The support they get from the class instructor and fellow attendees help keep them on track. Remember, things get worse before they get better (until the brain kicks off nicotine production.) Call 21231231 to make an appointment for a class at your nearest health centre. You can also get individual support by filling out this form:
https://deputyprimeminister.gov.mt/en/health-promotion/Pages/Services/Quit-Smoking.aspx
If you feel you need some extra help with quitting, speak to your GP who can prescribe some medicinal products that help with the initial difficult stages. These come in different forms: tablets, patches, chewing gum and sprays. They’re not cheap, but they’re definitely cheaper than a packet of cigarettes a day, and they’re only taken for a couple of months.
Discuss with your GP those times of day you feel the biggest cravings. This is individual to every smoker. Some feel like they can’t do without their cigarette and coffee first thing in the morning, while others need a smoke on the way to work. This will help you target your treatment better.
Whichever method you choose, I wish you the best of luck! Keep in mind that only those who try, succeed. If it takes you tens of times to finally quit, so be it. Never stop trying!
Reference: State of Health in the EU – Malta – Country Health Profile 2019. Assessed at https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/malta-country-health-profile-2019_05db1284-en on 2nd August 2020.
Have you found a good method to stop smoking? We’d love to hear how you did it, and so will our followers! Share your experience with us…contact us or send us an email at [email protected]
In 2007, Dr Natalie Psaila read for her MD at the University of Malta. She continued training and obtained her MMCFD and MRCGP (Int) to become a Specialist in Family Medicine in 2013.
