'Addicted brains don't heal overnight'

By Laura M. Levering/Northwest GuardianNovember 10, 2011

smoking
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- People choose to smoke or chew tobacco for a variety of reasons, but their motivations for starting are often forgotten as the powerful urge to continue the habit takes over.

It's no surprise that tobacco is one of the most easily attainable and highly addictive substances on the market. A study supported in part by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, shows "the nicotine received in just a few puffs of a cigarette can exert a force powerful enough to drive an individual to continue smoking."

As the Tobacco Cessation Program Coordinator for Madigan Healthcare System, Cynthia Hawthorne routinely provides information and medication to dozens of servicemembers who want to quit. What used to be a four-week program has been condensed to one 30-minute session in order to accommodate Soldiers' tight schedules. Hawthorne said the program has been working really well and is meeting the needs of Soldiers. Those who want to quit can attend a session as many times as needed.

As an ex-smoker herself, Hawthorne understands how difficult it is to quit and never scolds a person for attending the class multiple times.

"We understand it's a lifestyle that's not easy to change," said Hawthorne, a registered nurse. "Fractured bones don't heal overnight, and neither do addicted brains. It will take time."

Soldiers who attend the program walk away with an arsenal of information about tobacco use. Hawthorne briefly explains the three types of addiction to help users understand the basis for their tobacco use: physical, emotional and behavioral. Understanding the addictions can help a user determine a plan for quitting.

Hawthorne also explains what the tobacco industry has done to make their products incredibly addictive.

"That's usually where you can see the light bulb turn on," she said. "It's an eye opener for them. The tobacco companies are just in it for the money. They manipulate you and their products to keep you coming back."

At the end of the program, each person is given a supply of medication to assist them with quitting, and Hawthorne is available to meet with persons individually. For some of them, she knows it won't be the last time they see each other. Statistics show it takes an average of eight to 11 serious attempts to quit. Those who have used tobacco for years tend to have a harder time quitting. Each attempt is a relearning process, and if you've been doing it for years, it's not something that will happen overnight.

Quitting is the easy part," Hawthorne said. "Maintaining is hard."

Despite the high demands and stress surrounding today's military, tobacco use has been dropping among servicemembers. Based on dental clinics' findings, the tobacco use rate is an estimated 39 percent among Soldiers on Joint Base Lewis-McChord and 24 percent among Airmen. Hawthorne believes an increase in knowledge and desire to be healthy has contributed greatly to the decrease in tobacco use.

"They understand it's expensive, it impacts their APFT score, it's hard to find a date because they smell like smoke or their teeth are stained with tobacco juice or whatever reason ... People don't want to be addicted," Hawthorne said. "They don't want to be a slave to nicotine or be on a nicotine schedule."

Knowing how hard it is to quit, Hawthorne encourages tobacco users to take a leap forward by participating in the Smoking Cessation Program.

"Never quit trying to quit," she said. "You're doing your body such a great thing by quitting."

Laura M. Levering: laura.may.levering@us.army.mil

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