Quit smoking program to be offered at IOP

ãIt combines a prescription medication with behavioral group therapy,ä explained program director Dr. David Drobes, ãand it includes medical evaluation and oversight during a three-week clinic designed to guide enrollees through the inevitable cravings and withdrawal symptoms that accompany quitting.ä

Drobes said that of the people who try to quit on their own, only about 5 percent are successful. With nicotine replacement products, such as nicotine patches or gum, the success rate rises to about 30 percent. CDAPâs program uses a new medication called Zyban that is proven effective in reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms like irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, restlessness and depressed mood or negative affect.

ãJust getting past the first one to two weeks of quitting is a big step in itself,ä Drobes said.

Dr. Robert Malcolm, the programâs medical director, explained that Zyban works directly on the brain centers that are affected by nicotine to suppress the effects of withdrawal. ãWithdrawal can be a pretty wrenching experience,ä Malcolm said, adding that few people who try to quit on their own make it through the few weeks it takes for withdrawal symptoms to subside.

Smokers wishing to enroll in the program will be given a screening physical by Malcolm or another CDAP physician, who will prescribe the medication and monitor their progress during the program. Drobes said that the group meetings, that number three sessions the first week, two the second and one the third, are intensive, structured and rely heavily on proven behavioral techniques and group support.

Topics covered in the sessions include dealing with urges and cravings, how to cope with withdrawal, and how to avoid relapse. Individual attention will be given when needed, but Drobes said that guided group assistance in problem-solving has been proven a most effective way to treat addiction. He said that those enrolling in the program -- the cost is $240 plus the medications -- will be encouraged to choose a time that is not overly stressful and set a date to quit smoking. The program will cover getting ready to quit, quitting and avoiding relapse. The first program will begin Sept. 22 and continue with additional programs based on community interest.

ãEach group will be limited to eight to 12 nicotine-dependent smokers,ä Drobes said. He added that nicotine is a highly addictive substance, perhaps more addictive than alcohol. Fewer than 10 percent of the people who smoke are what Drobes calls ãchippers,ä or occasional smokers. On the other hand, 90 percent of the people who drink are not alcoholics.

Who is nicotine-dependent? A typical nicotine-dependent person smokes at least a pack a day, has tried to quit and been unsuccessful, needs to smoke even when sick, and lights up within 30 minutes after waking up in the morning.