Quitting is closer than you think.

Kicking the tobacco habit is easier said than done. Just ask anyone who has either quit or is trying to quit. Quitting is a process, not a destination. Yet, kicking the tobacco habit is possible! That is the good news.

Quitting requires understanding smoking and what tools work best to quit. Just like planning for a battle, quitting takes strategy and support. Doing just that-- developing a strategy to help you or someone you love kick tobacco is our goal. Health Watch is so intent to succeed we dedicated an entire show to smoking cessation. It was a program you would not have wanted to miss.

Helping us understand tobacco addiction was Dr. Charles Bentz, an internist and medical director for the Legacy Health System Tobacco Cessation & Prevention Program in Portland, Oregon. We could not have asked for a better guest to talk about kicking the tobacco habit. Dr. Bentz not only understands the issue as a physician and advocate, but as a former smoker himself.

We talked about how breaking the smoking habit is really about two competing challenges. The first is nicotine addiction. The other is smoking behavior. Each comes with its on set of issues to tackle. Nicotine, when inhaled, alters the brain’s chemistry. Therefore to break the addiction requires stepping the body down from its nicotine dependency.

Smoking also is not just something people do. Smoking comes with its own set of meanings, feelings and behaviors. Some people smoke when they are with others or during breaks. As a result, smoking cigarettes is linked with other activities and people. Breaking the habit requires knowing what triggers the desire to smoke and altering that. The more a person interrupts these triggers, the more successful quitting becomes.

During our conversation Dr. Bentz also helped us understand the mystery of why African Americans are less likely to smoke, yet they are more likely to die from lung cancer. Much of is has to do with the types of cigarettes African Americans consume and how they smoke cigarettes. Mentholated cigarettes, preferred more often by African Americans, contain menthol, which sooths the throat. Consequently, people who smoke mentholated cigarettes draw harder while smoking and even smoke up to the filter to get the most of each cigarette. Who knew that cool sensation was numbing us to an early grave!

Although smoking is not an easy habit to break, quitting is possible. That was the message Dr. Bentz wanted our Health Watch listeners to know. Quitting requires having the right support and tools. Tools like quit lines. Each state has a local 1-800 number that providers callers counseling support right over the phone. They also have information about other resources that can help people quit. In Tennessee, the number is 1-800- QUIT-NOW. Help is just a phone call away.

So whether it is your first time or umpteenth time quitting, keep trying. Each attempt brings you one step closer to kicking the habit for good. Remember you are not in the fight alone. Health Watch is in your corner and on your side. Until next time remember, “When we know better, we should do better. Then pass it on!”