THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 7, 1996 TAG: 9607040206
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSAN W. SMITH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 47 lines
Chesapeake General Hospital is offering a new program for people who have tried to kick the smoking habit but have not succeeded.
Participants in the Smoking Cessation program are offered personal counseling to help them stop smoking and to develop a long-term plan for staying smoke-free.
The counseling covers topics such as stress management and weight gain, which often affects people who try to stop smoking.
``If you only do one thing for your health, quit smoking,'' said Darcy W. Cromer, coordinator of the Smoking Cessation Program. ``If you can do two things for your health, quit smoking and exercise.''
Although national figures show that the average smoker tries to break the habit four times before being successful, Chesapeake General's new program will help participants develop a personal plan to be successful sooner.
``Everybody can quit,'' Cromer said. ``It's just not easy. And the first 72 hours are the most difficult. But with one-on-one help, it can be done, if the smoker really wants to quit.''
The sessions also will determine whether the person has a nicotine addiction or a cigarette habit, and will help treat either condition. A smoker who suffers from nicotine addiction has cravings or physical withdrawal symptoms when he doesn't get a cigarette. A person with a cigarette habit needs to smoke at certain times, such as when talking on the telephone, driving a car or studying. A smoker can suffer from both an addiction and a habit.
Cromer said often, when people quit smoking ``cold turkey,'' they are not prepared to handle the situations that trigger the urge to smoke. Thinking about these triggers ahead of time and knowing how to deal with them makes the quitting process easier and more effective.
A personal plan is one of the keys to success when people want to quit smoking, Cromer said, because the urge to smoke or occasional cravings for cigarettes never go away.
The program, which consists of six one-on-one sessions with a counselor over five weeks, will be taught at the Lifestyle and Health Fitness Center at Chesapeake General Hospital. Participants also will get referrals for extra help with problems such as stress, diet or exercise, if they need them.
Cromer recommends two sessions the first week, followed by weekly sessions. The cost is $52 for the first counseling session, and $25 an hour for each additional session.
For information about ``Smoking Cessation,'' call at 482-6188. by CNB