Tobacco Consultation Service (TCS) offers tobacco treatment counseling to help you quit tobacco use. Focusing on the physical and social reasons for using tobacco, our program provides the support and skills you need to quit and stay quit. Our program is free to U-M faculty and staff and UMHS patients and community members.
For more information, contact us at 734-998-6222 or email [email protected].
Helpful Tips
- Set a quit date
- Begin to decrease the amount of tobacco you use
- Tell family, friends and co-workers you are quitting and ask for their support
- On your quit date, get rid of all tobacco related items
- If you choose to use the nicotine patch, nicotine gum, nicotine lozenge, nicotine inhaler, or nicotine nasal spray, begin use on your quit date and use as prescribed
- If you plan to use Varenicline or Bupropion, contact your physician two weeks prior to your quit date and use as prescribed
- Use of tobacco treatment medications increases your chance of quitting by 50%
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid second-hand smoke
- Keep busy with projects, hobbies, pleasurable activities, etc.
- When stressed, take a few deep breaths
- Exercise
- Get plenty of rest
- Drink water
- Eat healthy meals and snacks
- Pamper yourself
- Get expert assistance. Contact Tobacco Consultation Service at (734) 998-6222 or [email protected]
Breaking the Connection...
| Triggers | Coping Strategies |
|---|---|
| Stress or anger |
Do deep breathing exercises. Ask yourself how using tobacco will change anything for the better. |
| After meals |
Do something active: wash dishes, take a walk, play with kids/pets, brush your teeth and rinse with mouthwash. |
| Alcohol | Avoid drinking 3-4 weeks after quitting. Find different ways to socialize with friends. |
| In the car |
Make a quit kit for your car and include items such as chewing gum, toothpicks, stress ball, sugar free candy, and straws. |
| At work | Do something during your break such as take a walk, read, or listen to music. Have a supportperson at work. Realize you don’t need to smoke to take a break. You deserve a break, to refresh and renew yourself, so take one. |
| Coffee |
Drink hot tea, low-fat cocoa, 100% fruit juice or water as substitutes. Consider caffeine-free beverages if you feel jittery or are having trouble sleeping. |
| Living with other tobacco users |
Create tobacco free zones in your home. Make your vehicle smoke-free. Ask that tobacco products not be left lying around. |
| Morning routine |
Eat breakfast if you usually don’t. Post your reasons for quitting on your bathroom mirror. Change your morning routine. |
| In the evening |
Start an exercise program; a brisk walk is perfect and free. Keep busy with projects, hobbies, pleasurable activities, etc. Change your evening routine. |
| Parties/socializing |
Have a plan in place before you go. Tell someone you are going with that you quit and to help you if you have a strong urge. Avoid other smokers. |
| Boredom | Always carry something to read. Make lists of things to do or send a text. Call a friend. |
Benefits of Quitting Tobacco
Within 20 minutes of last cigarette:
- Blood pressure and pulse return to normal
-
Circulation to hands and feet improves
-
Fibers in the bronchial tubes begin to move again, removing irritants and bacteria
8 Hours:
- Carbon monoxide level in the blood drops and oxygen levels return to normal
24 Hours:
- Risk for heart attack decreases
2 weeks to 2 months:
- Circulation improves, lung function increases up to 30%
1 to 9 months:
- Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of
- breath decrease
3 to 5 years:
- Risk of dying of heart attack decreases to that of a nonsmoker
10 years:
- Risk of dying of lung cancer decreases to that of a nonsmoker
- Pre-cancerous cells are replaced with healthy cells
- Risk of other cancers decrease (mouth, larynx,esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas)