There is a wide range of NRT products available to help you with quitting smoking. We usually recommend a combination of products to help you overcome the nicotine cravings. We don't go on and on, how bad smoking is for you - you already know that. Before you call us however, it is very important for you to understand exactly where you are on the "quit cycle" (see below). If your mind is not in the right place as described on the quit cycle, then you are probably not ready to quit! Such is the power of addiction.

"Why is it hard to quit?"

Tobacco in its raw form is a harsh substance; it is hard to inhale deeply and not especially addictive. However, the tobacco industry has refined the product so that now most smokers use the product every day and find it very hard to quit. Tobacco is the only legal drug that kills many of its users when used exactly as was intended and directed by manufacturers.

The reasons that cigarette smoking is so highly addictive are thought to be threefold:

1. Pleasure — nicotine affects the dopamine pathway in the brain, making smoking a pleasurable thing to do. For some people this turns into a dependence; their natural dopamine levels decrease and they need to keep smoking to maintain normal brain chemistry;
2. Behavioural aspects — smoking becomes a habit and an integral part of the daily ritual. This is particularly hard to break because the brain associates the chemical pleasure of dopamine release from smoking a cigarette with everyday actions (e.g. finishing a meal or work for the day). The enforced isolation of the smoker is often used as ‘my time’ or as a series of ‘mindful’ pauses throughout the day;
3. Environmental triggers — smokers’ brains know that smoking a cigarette will stimulate their pleasure pathways, and visual and other stimuli make them crave a cigarette. The simple act of seeing someone else smoking, or even just seeing a cigarette, can trigger this.

Consequently, a successful smoking cessation programme needs to address all the above. We can help you re-wire your brain. The long-term quit rate of smokers who do not participate in a smoking cessation programme is less than 5%. However, with support in the form of counselling, the success rate greatly increases. We can also measure the levels of carbon monoxide in your blood, and at the four-week point, expect a success rate of more than 50%. Current data suggests that you are four more times likely to quit this way than going it alone.

"What is the Treboeth Pharmacy Smoking Cessation Service?"

Firstly, an initial assessment to determine your readiness to stop smoking (see quit cycle below).Then, we give you an important tool called "Help Me Quit Passport to Smoke Free." The Passport contains information on all aspects of quitting, from preparation through to preventing a relapse, and staying quit for good. There are activities, such as a smoking diary and a visualisation exercise to strengthen non-smoker identity. Links to additional information can be found throughout the resource. The passport is a useful guide, with strategies to enable you to quit one of the most addictive substances on earth, for good.

Using motivational interviewing techniques, we assist you in your attempt to quit smoking by providing you with:

• a weekly supply of nicotine replacement products (NRT) such as patches, mouth spray, inhalators, lozenges or gum FREE OF CHARGE for up to 12 weeks.
• occasional Carbon Monoxide monitoring to support your quit attempt FREE OF CHARGE

Currently this valuable NHS service is available during weekdays - please contact us for more information. One of our team will help create a plan for you and have regular reviews with you to monitor your progress and to provide information and encouragement during this journey. We are passionate about helping our customers with quitting smoking as it has huge health benefits.

We stock some of the leading brands of NRT products such as Nicorette, Nicotinell, and Niquitin. The products are available in a range of different forms such as patches, chewing gum, lozenges, inhalators, nasal sprays, oral sprays and microtabs. Come into our pharmacy or contact us for more details.

"You've mentioned the quit cycle twice now - what is it?"

More accurately described as the 'five stages of change' model, ask yourself, which stage are you on right now? Be honest with yourself.

1. Pre - Contemplation Stage

This is the stage where you have no intention to alter their habit in the near term, which is normally deemed to be within the next six months. In this stage, you are often defensive, avoiding thinking or talking about your high-risk behaviour. Yes really!

You may not be considering change because you are demoralised at previous quit attempts, do not understand the consequences of your actions or believe the consequences are insignificant. Simply put, at this stage the pros of smoking are outweighing the cons of smoking for the you. To progress from this stage, you must accept your actions are problematic and potential harmful to themselves and others. You are not ready to quit yet.

2. Contemplation Stage

In this state, you intend to change your ‘at risk,’ behaviour within the next 6 months. Whilst in this stage, you are becoming more disillusioned with your current actions, and how it may be detrimental to your health.

Whilst in this stage, the you will be aware of the inherent risks of your actions, but is ultimately unwilling to change. Whilst in this stage, you are in a state of flux, weighing up the pros and cons. You are not quite ready to quit yet.

3. Preparation Stage

In this stage, you plan to make the change away from your harmful behaviour within one month. (This stage of change usually consists of individuals who have attempted to change from their ‘at risk’ behaviour in the last 12 months, but have relapsed and are still engaging in the activity).

You must decide on a strategy which results in the desired outcome. As many in this stage have attempted to change their behaviour once (or more times) before, they will often adopt a different method of progressing into the action phase.

4. Action Stage

In this stage, you have made the move to alter your harmful behaviour within the last 6 months. During this stage,you will receive the greatest plaudits for your efforts from others, but also find this stage the most difficult due to withdrawal symptoms.

You must remain in the action state until you move towards a state of ‘self-efficacy,’ and this is stronger than your temptation to revert to the problem behaviour.

5. Maintenance Stage

This stage of smoking cessation can simply be defined as that you have not engaged in your harmful behaviour for over 6 months. Continued cessation focusses on the your satisfaction on cessation. If temptation to smoke is too great, or the pros of smoking begin to be outweighed, you will relapse from the maintenance state and you will enter stage one (above) again - hence the "quit cycle". But then its true to say, that the more times you try and quit, the more likely you will succeed!

It is shown that a majority of relapses from maintenance state happen in the presence of other smokers and to be successful individuals tend to avoid social situations with other smokers. Those who never smoke again remain in the maintenance stage.

Help Me Quit is the smoking cessation system for Wales. All NHS stop smoking services are part of the Help Me Quit ‘family’ – L3 pharmacy, hospital services, MAMSS (for pregnant smokers) and Stop Smoking Wales. For more info on Help Me Quit.