For a smoker, “the question is not how to quit smoking, but how to do it in a sustained way, for good”, stated Nuno Cortesão , Hospital da Luz Arrábida pneumologist, in the TV show “Consultório”, on Porto Canal, broadcasted on September 26, the European Ex-Smoker Day. The goal of the smoking cessation consultation is precisely “that the individual stops smoking without relapsing”, resorting to motivational strategies, pharmacological therapeutics, the teaching of healthy habits and lifestyles, and / or psychological support. Besides answering questions posed by viewers, Nuno Cortesão explained the main reasons why it is so hard to quit smoking, what is the consultation of smoking cessation and its importance, and when and in which situations drugs can be used: “It is hard to quit smoking and for many reasons, but the most relevant is that: smoking is not an addiction or a habit, but rather a dependency. When the individual starts smoking, he creates a pattern of dependency that is then hard to break free from.” “There are two levels of dependency. A psychological one (smoking is a ritual, an emotional crutch, that fills a void), and a physical dependency, that has to do with one of the constituents of tobacco, nicotine.” “Therefore, for the smoker, the question is not simply to quit smoking, but to do it in a sustained manner, for the rest of his life.” “If a smoker stops abruptly and if he has a strong dependency, he may experience symptoms related with the reduction and deprivation of nicotine, such as mood disorders, difficulty sleeping or concentrating. Which are constraining and distressing symptoms.” “Relapses are a reality in dependency. In that sense, the ex-smoker is one that does not smoke for at least a year.” “The more time since the individual quits smoking, the lesser the relapses. Equally, relapses are greater among people trying to quit smoking on their own, than among people who resort to the smoking cessation consultation.” “Success is higher among people using medication to quit smoking. However, it rarely works to resort to drugs without adequate planning and follow-up.” “At any age and time, irrespectively of the life conditions, whether a person smokes one or sixty cigarettes, it is always possible to quit smoking. And the lesser the exposure to tobacco, also lesser is the risk of disease.” Nuno Cortesão on Porto Canal
