Health Services

Health Education

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

Cessation

Most tobacco users want to quit; they know why they should quit, but they don't really know how to deal with their addictions to nicotine.

This page provides you with some tips and cessation opportunities to help make the transition to a nicotine-free life a little easier.

The University wants to help with cessation. Alere Wellbeing (formerly Free & Clear) is a program available to full-time employees and spouse or children (18 year old or older). No classes to attend. A personal coach to talk with over the phone at your convenience. Enroll by telephone on on-line. An e-mail address is required. Check it out!

S

Tips

1. Recognize that nicotine addiction is one of the toughest addictions to overcome. Don't consider yourself a failure if you relapse - it's normal. It takes some people as many as 10 tries to quit using tobacco for good.
2. Determine why you use tobacco - find out what your triggers are by keeping a log of your use for a few days (at least two weekdays and a weekend) including where you are and why you are smoking or chewing at that moment.
3. Make a list of the reasons why you would like to quit and carry those reasons around with you as a reminder when you have the urge to use.
4. Set a quit date. Tell all of your friends, family, and co-workers that you are trying to quit.
5. On your quit date, throw out all items that are related to your addiction. Throw out all cigarettes, lighters, cans of chew, ashtrays, spit cans, and anything else associated with your use. If you are a smoker, have your carpets cleaned, wash your sheets, have your upholstery cleaned—do whatever you can to remove the smell of smoke from your home and start fresh. Do the same thing with your car - clean out the ashtrays in your car and clean out the smell of smoke from your car.
6. It might be necessary to change some of your routines to help you break the addiction. If you usually smoke when you drink coffee, switch to tea; or if you usually smoke while you are at a bar, find another way to spend your evening. Logging your use (tip 2) will help you identify which routines to change to avoid triggering the urge to smoke or chew.
7. When you do have the urge to smoke or chew, go do something else to take your mind off of it. Take a walk, drink a glass of water, visit with a friend in a non-smoking environment, just get your mind off the urge to smoke.
8. Using a rubber band or pencil to keep your hands busy or chewing on gum or a lollipop can help to curb the urge to smoke by keeping your hands or your mouth busy.

Cessation Opportunities

Many people find that they need some additional help to quit using tobacco. Numerous cessation programs are available to help make the transition to a tobacco-free life. Below is a brief listing.

On Campus:

IUPUI Health Services
Provides primary care to IUPUI students and serves as a health information resource to students and employees. Call 317-274-8214 for information about smoking cessation resources.

IU Health
IU Health offers a great tobacco cessation program through the IU Health Tobacco Control Center that will provide you with the help and support you need to be successful. For information on smoking cessation, call 317.962.9662.

In Marion County:

The Marion County Health Department maintains a list of many local cessation programs. Visit their web site or call 317-221-2084 for more information.

Statewide:

Contact the Indiana Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) for free, onfidential, comprehensive telephone counseling and information about how to quit tobacco.

Other:

• American Lung Assocation online smoking cessation (Freedom from Smoking Online). Visit their web site or call 1-800-LUNG-USA
• American Cancer Society Quitline: 1-877-937-7848
• Quitworks online smoking cessation
• Quitnet online smoking cessation