Any Survivors? by Deborah Southard Chronicling the lives of five smokers in their quest to quit smoking print article      send to a friend

Revisit the island

Elliot - An occasional smoker, who only becomes tempted when other people are smoking around him. Using an herbal method seemed the gentlest way to cut down on the "devil cravings."  The odds-on favorite to win, but could he do it?

Selwyn - A heavy smoker not to be toyed with, Selwyn gave the patch a try.  The nicotine would slowly be reduced over the course of two months.  Would it be enough to get rid of his persistent need for the cancer stick?

Anne - A light smoker, who works her way through half of a cigarette and then finishes the rest later.  Always up for trying something new, Anne decided to check out the hype surrounding hypnotism.  Could a mind-altering experience help her quit?

Questo - Another heavy smoker who has tried just about everything to kick the habit, but keeps going back to the nicotine god.  Questo tried Zyban to cut down on the anxiety that accompanies nicotine withdrawal.  Would prescription-strength kill the cravings?

Jean - A light social smoker who can get through work without a cigarette, but lights up as soon as her shift is over.  Jean chose the hardest way to kick the cigs - cold turkey.  Could a bad day get the best of her?

Who took the prize?

So how did they fare?  Who managed to survive the two months?  It came as no surprise to us (but it might to you) - NO ONE!  So what went wrong?  Each contestant went into the experience wanting to quit, yet each one failed.  But it wasn't a complete disaster for all of our smokers, and here's why:

"Most people try to quit cold turkey.  But only five to seven percent of them succeed," says Patrick Yassini, MD, a general practitioner in San Diego, California.  "That rate is significantly increased by a health care provider telling them to quit.  It increases even more when there is follow-up.  That includes helping them set a 'stop date,' calling them to remind them about the 'stop date,' calling a few days afterwards to see how things are going, cheering them on if they've managed to stop, and giving support if they haven't. Along with these behavioral changes that we are making, the doctor needs to provide something to help with the physical cravings."  With this in mind.

Elliot managed to quit for a few weeks, and then began to have an occasional cigarette.  He cut back from 2-3 cigarettes a day to 2-3 cigarettes a week.  "I feel comfortable controlling the habit now, instead of feeling like I really need a cigarette.  I just hope that I can keep it at this level until I gradually fade them out forever," he says.

Selwyn cut back from one pack day to one pack every three days, and he switched to lights.  His downfall was a bad reaction to the patches.  A rash developed on his arm, and he became extremely restless and anxious.  "If the dose is too high to start out with, it could cause anxiety," notes Dr. Yassini.  "It generally doesn't cause those symptoms if you use the right dosage."   This might explain the difficulties that Selwyn experienced.  Dr. Yassini also noted that the adhesive on the patch might have caused Selwyn's rash.  When asked what he would do differently, Selwyn replied, "I would use a different substitute; the inhaler, or nicotine gum.  Maybe a doctor prescribed plan would be a good alternative, I need all the help I can get!"

Anne quit smoking for a week after her first hypnosis session.  Then, she slipped.  So she went back and managed to quit for ten days following the second visit.  But she slipped again.  She blames it on the heavy traffic to and from work.  "I needed something to do!" she says (We suggest books on tape!).  But when probed, we found out that she didn't follow her hypnosis plan to the letter; she failed to do the prescribed self-hypnosis in the morning and at night every day.  She believes that by visiting the hypnotist again, and following the prescribed plan, she could throw her smokes away forever.

Questo only made it five days.  Wellbutrin, a generic form of Zyban, made him extremely tired and completely unmotivated.  He also experienced some dizziness.  He had to quit taking it in order to get any work done.  "I just don't know what happened," he concludes.  "I guess I'll be going back to the doctor." (The author has her doubts. No offense, Questo).

Jean lasted a week.  You have to hand it to her, she works in a restaurant (if you've ever worked in a restaurant you know that 90% of the restaurant industry smokes).  Pure willpower apparently wasn't the wisest choice for Jean.  "I've already made an appointment with my doctor to discuss the problem.  I'm on the road to a smoke-free life!" she says.

Elliot, Anne, and Selwyn cut down on the number of cigarettes they smoke.  While not a complete victory, it's a start.  It sounds like Jean has the right attitude and the desire to quit; she jumped on another opportunity to break free of her nicotine addiction.  But our sympathies go out to Questo, who has a long haul ahead of him.  Let's hope it doesn't take a life or death situation to motivate this smoker.

The Moral of the Story

Five different smokers tried to quit five different ways and each one of them failed.  The lesson - Nicotine addiction is a serious thing, and if you're serious about quitting, you're going to need some serious help.

Perhaps the answer to the problem is as simple as trying new methods until you find one that works.  Your doctor should be able to give you insight into many different approaches and will stick with you as long as your desire to kick the habit remains strong.  But remember it's going to be a long road.  "I'm lucky if I get 40-50% of my patients to quit within a year," says Dr. Yassini.