For many, smoking is hard to quit. Not only is nicotine physically addictive, but the rituals of smoking and tobacco use are also behaviorally addictive.

Still, despite its pull, most tobacco users know that the habit is bad for their health and their wallets. In fact, nearly 70% say they’d like to stop.

“COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is huge in our community,” said Prowers Medical Center’s Cardiopulmonary Manager and Respiratory Therapist Callie Gadash. “We care for these patients for years. And though many of them go through our pulmonary rehab program, they often continue to smoke. They just can’t seem to kick the habit. In turn, their health continues to decline, creating a downward spiral.”

But now a powerful new program at Prowers Medical Center is here to help.

Get Involved

For more information about Freedom from Smoking or to sign up, call 719-336-6731 or visit prowersmedical.com/services/cardiopulmonary/

Freedom from Smoking

Gadash and two of her colleagues—Lori Abeyta and Cinnamon Park—recently underwent training to become certified facilitators of a program called Freedom from Smoking. It’s an eight-session class developed by the American Lung Association that helps tobacco users understand their addiction and supports them as they prepare to quit.

“We educate participants about nicotine addiction, and we talk about triggers, which are physical, social and emotional,” Gadash said. “Each person has specific issues. We’re here to help them make a plan that will work for them, even if they’ve tried to quit before. It’s normal to make multiple quit attempts before it sticks.”

Nicotine replacement therapy is often part of the plan. While tools like gum, patches and lozenges aren’t provided in the class, the facilitators do give participants information so they can easily access all the resources they need. “Nicotine replacement helps increase your chances of quitting,” Gadash said.

Session 5 is held two days after Session 4, which is the Quit Date. “For Session 5, we hold a special meeting to help people get through the hardest hours,” Gadash said.

Nationally, up to 60% of participants who complete Freedom from Smoking report having quit by the end of the program. Graduates are also six times more likely to be tobacco-free one year later than those who quit on their own.

Prowers Medical Center’s Freedom from Smoking classes will be held at Prowers Medical Center on Monday nights at 5 pm for seven weeks starting on January 9. The class is free.

Why Quit

There are many benefits of quitting smoking or stopping tobacco use.

For one, your health will improve, even if you’ve been smoking for a long time. Research has shown that your body can eventually repair much of the damage done by smoking. In just a couple of weeks, your blood circulation improves and your lung function increases. In a few months, coughing and shortness of breath decrease. And in a year, your heart attack risk drops dramatically.

What’s more, you’ll save a lot of money and miss less work and social events due to illness. You’ll also be a better role model for young individuals in your life.

According to American Lung Association research, quitting smoking may be hard, but it’s also achievable. There are now more ex-smokers in the United States than smokers. 52 million Americans who used to smoke have quit for good. If you want to quit, Prowers Medical Center is here to help you join its ranks.