VNS Health EasyCare: Smoking and Tobacco Use Cessation (Smoking Cessation, counseling to stop smoking/tobacco use)

Up to 8 smoking and tobacco-use cessation (quit) counseling sessions within 12 months for tobacco users who do not have signs or symptoms of tobacco-related disease (such as those associated with COPD, and oral, tracheal, or lung cancer).

For those who use tobacco and have been diagnosed with a tobacco-related disease or are taking medications that may be affected by tobacco, cessation counseling is also available. Still, it requires that applicable cost-sharing be paid by the member.  This benefit is not free in this case.

Each counseling attempt includes up to 4 face-to-face visits. Successful intervention for smoking and tobacco cessation begins with identifying users and appropriate interventions based on their willingness to quit.

You may hear about many options for cessation, including breaking it down into three or five steps (sometimes called “The 3 As” or “The 5 As” and sometimes “The 5 Rs”).  Regardless of which option is presented or chosen, cessation therapy always begins with psychological-behavioral methods before introducing the more invasive nicotine replacement therapy (gum, patches), and anti-smoking medication is usually a last resort because it can produce unpleasant side effects.

"Going cold turkey” (quitting abruptly altogether) and self-guided use of over-the-counter nicotine replacement products have a high failure rate because there is no concentration on or support for real behavior change, which is the biggest driver for smoking and tobacco use.  In other words, while nicotine is certainly addictive, smoking and tobacco use are mostly habitual.  Some examples:

• A cigarette always accompanies a cup of coffee or a cocktail, lighting a cigarette

• Cracking the window immediately precedes putting the car in drive

• Stepping away from the desk or out of an office always leads to a “smoke break”

• A wad of chewing tobacco is inserted before beginning any task or project, or at defined times during a sporting event, and so forth.

Routines and behavior patterns must be addressed for cessation to succeed. Understand that it typically takes MANY quit attempts before quitting is actually achieved.

CDC

The CDC also offers smoking cessation support. Call the quitline: 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or visit How to Quit Smoking. Quitlines provide free and confidential coaching to help you become—and stay—smoke-free. Calling a quitline might be just what you need to help you quit for good.