Great American Smokeout: Clear the air for what matters

Smoking has a way of clouding nearly everything in a person’s life. VA can help Veterans clear the air with text, phone and in-person support and counseling, as well as prescription medications and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products to help them stop smoking. VA has more ways than ever to help Veterans make smoking a thing of the past and improve their health and quality of life.

Clear the air about health

Many people who smoke say they do so in an attempt to cope with stress. They may be concerned about trying to stop smoking because they worry that quitting will only add to that stress and harm their mental health. However, research has found the opposite to be true: Stopping tobacco use can actually improve your mood and decrease your feelings of depression and anxiety. It also can make certain medications for depression, anxiety and psychotic disorders work better.

In reality, the stress relief that people feel when they smoke is only relief from nicotine withdrawal. When they smoke, the unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal go away, but avoiding the effects of withdrawal isn’t the same as reducing stress. In fact, getting out of that nicotine-seeking cycle by quitting smoking is what actually lowers stress.

Physically, smoking can harm almost every organ in the body, including the brain. And when you stop smoking, your heart rate evens out within 20 minutes. Over the next few days, your breathing and senses of taste and smell will improve. Without smoking, over time you will:

• Reduce your risk for many types of cancer.
• Lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
• Find it easier to stop using drugs and alcohol.
• Improve your lung, skin, vision and oral health.
• Strengthen your immune system, muscles and bones.
• Be able to more effectively manage HIV and other chronic health conditions.
• Lower your risk of infertility or erectile dysfunction issues.
• Reduce chronic pain symptoms.
• Increase your body’s ability to heal after wounds or surgery.

When you stop smoking, you will also help improve the physical health of people—and even pets—around you. In the United States each year, secondhand smoke causes more than 41,000 deaths and many serious health problems. Smoking around other people exposes them to more than 7,000 chemicals, and at least 70 of them are known to cause cancer. When you stop smoking, the people around you are likely to have better lung function and a lower risk for heart and respiratory diseases.

Clear the air to see a better life

After you stop smoking, better mental and physical health—for you and the people around you—are the foundations of an improved quality of life, but you’ll also experience many direct lifestyle benefits. For example, when you stop smoking, you’ll sleep better and feel an energy boost that will enable you to spend more time doing the things you enjoy. And you won’t miss important events or special moments when you have to go outside to smoke. You’ll also have more time and money to devote to the people, causes and activities that are meaningful to you.

VA helps Veterans clear the air

VA has many treatment options to make it easier to stop smoking. Because each method addresses a different aspect of smoking, a combination of more than one method can be very effective. The best treatment is the one that works for you, but research has shown that combining counseling with medication (such as NRT gum, patches, lozenges and other products) is the most effective for remaining tobacco-free over the long term. All VA medical centers and community-based outpatient clinics offer tobacco use treatment options, including:

• Counseling: VA offers group and individual counseling to talk about tobacco use and to identify individual triggers for smoking and changes in daily behaviors and routines that can help Veterans quit smoking. Counseling is available in person or through the VA Video Connect secure videoconferencing app. You may use My HealtheVet, VA’s online patient portal, to send your provider a secure message to learn more about your options.
• Medications and NRT: VA offers prescription medications as well as NRT gum, patches and lozenges to help relieve nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings that come with stopping tobacco use. Your provider can guide you through the available options and help you decide which one (or combination) is likely to work best for you.
• Quit VET: Veterans can call 1-855-QUIT-VET (1-855-784-8838) for counseling and help in developing a plan to stop smoking. Quitline counselors are available Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern time, to help you prepare for potential challenges and avoid relapse. Counselors offer continued support in English or Spanish through follow-up calls and counseling sessions.
• SmokefreeVET: For tools and tips you can use to quit smoking, sign up for SmokefreeVET by texting VET to 47848. SmokefreeVET provides regular text messages as well as extra support for Veterans who text the keywords URGE, STRESS or SMOKED to 47848. Para inscribirse en SmokefreeVET en español, manda el texto VETesp al 47848. Learn more at the SmokefreeVET website.

It’s not easy to stop smoking, but VA has a range of evidence-based treatments that have led countless Veterans to long-term success. When you’re ready to clear the air, talk with your VA provider or use the facility locator tool to find VA support near you.