For those of you who engage in smoking activity I likely just lost your attention, but wait! There is a bright side to this topic and I’m not on my healthy soapbox, so you are in luck! Being a “recovered” smoker, I can tell you that quitting (every single time) was the hardest thing I have ever done. It perplexed me how easy it was to become a smoker but nearly impossible to quit!

There are a lot of theories on this topic including the latest that menthol cigarettes are more addicting than non-menthol. Honestly, who cares why they are addicting, the point is like any other addiction, quitting is not easy. Fortunately, there are many support devices available to people interested in quitting. The results of a recent study published in JAMA found that electronic cigarettes were an effective option for smokers seeking help with quitting. In fact, electronic cigarettes were found to be superior to nicotine gum! That said, you can’t quit for anyone else, you have to quit for you or it won’t work. No different than losing weight, it has to be YOU who drives the smoking cessation program or you are doomed to fail.

How about your residents? Does your campus allow smoking in designated areas? If you are a smoke free campus, how many residents are “caught” smoking in their bathrooms/stairwells, etc.? Maybe they need some help? Think about the hardest thing you have ever done and then limit your access to everything else in the world that you found enjoyable (aside from bingo), hmmm….not an attractive thought, right? Talk to your residents, schedule meetings with your docs (telehealth is perfect for this type of thing). See if you can find a support device, nicotine patches, nicotine gum, maybe a vape/e-cigarette (follow this link, regarding safety recommendations from AHCA/NCAL). Whatever that is, give these residents a chance to be successful/ instead of telling them “no you can’t”, ask “how can we help”. You may be surprised at what you find out! Stay well and stay informed!